Believe in Me
by everythingfeelslikethemovies
Summary: Jackunzel, Rated T for swearing and mild violence. AU where Rapunzel's tower is hidden behind a magic veil but, because that's how these stories work, Jack finds her. Pitch has been keeping the two separated for three hundred years, and he's not about to give up, despite what he may promise.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness. That's the first thing I remember. It was dark, and it was cold, and I was scared.

Without opening my eyes, I knew I was in a lake.

The blistering frozen water swirled around me, pricking into my skin and draining me of the remaining warmth I had left.

Soon I was completely numb to everything other than the fear consuming me. The fear was even worse than the cold. The fear fed off of everything else left in me: all my hopes...dreams...everything.

I tried to recall why exactly I was in this lake, but nothing came to mind.

So I tried to remember my family, if I even had one. That drew a blank too. Starting to panic, I tried to remember my name, my age, anything.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Was this some sort of frozen hell? I wondered. Did I do something awful in my lifetime and now I was being punished?

I couldn't remember.

The only light shining through the water was from the Moon...the Moon!

I looked up at it and pleaded to it, Help me!

Slowly, I began to rise up towards the surface, towards the Moon. The ice covering the lake broke away, creating enough space for the Moon to float me out of it and gently place me back on the ground.

The ache in my lungs subsided as I gasped for breath. I must've been down there for an eternity.

I could see my breath, and I smiled. It made me feel like a dragon, blowing out smoke after I had scorched a few sheep for dinner.

This wasn't a punishment, it was just an accident. I just had to go find a village and then my family will be there to remind me who I am and everything will be fine!

I felt oddly optimistic at this thought.

Now to just find a village...

As I started to walk into the woods, I stumbled.

Looking down, I saw a Shepard's crook as long as me. I hadn't noticed it lying there before.

Cautiously, I touched it with my toe.

From the spot I touched, deep grooves in the wood glowed a cool blue for an instant, then faded away when I moved my toe.

Weird.

I lifted it into my hands and watched as it began to glow again. The glowing designs reminded me of frost.

Using one hand to hold the staff, I examined my free hand. It was pale, with a gold ring on my third finger. It didn't look special, so why was the staff glowing from my touch?

When I looked down, I became mesmerized. Frozen swirls of sparkling frost were slowly covering the ice from the spot the staff had made contact.

I lifted the staff to tap the ice in a few more places. More frost appeared.

When I went to the side of the lake and tested it in trees? They were soon covered in the ice crystals as well.

Laughing, I began to skate around, waving the staff through the air until the entire lake and surrounding forest sparkled in the moonlit frost.

"What else does this do?" I wondered aloud.

As if to answer my question, an icy breeze lifted me into the air.

I laughed, "I'm flying!"

The Moon seemed to be laughing at my childishness, but I didn't care.

But I didn't have perfect balance and toppled over, crashing into branches until I finally caught myself on a branch.

Resting in the tree before I hurt myself, I scanned the woods for any lights that might indicate a village.

I finally spotted one, not too far away.

As I watched, golden lights floated from the village and up into the sky, one by one. They were lanterns.

I felt like I had seen this before, which I figured was promising. Someone there probably knew me!

Using my newfound flying powers, I made my way to the village. In fact, I only crashed into four trees. (Okay seven but who's counting?)

Naturally, I landed in a big pile of snow.

I didn't mind though, compared to the frozen lake, this chill was nothing.

The first thing I saw were the somber expressions of the villagers as they let of the remaining lanterns float off.

I didn't understand, the decorations were so lively...why did everyone look so sad?

Two girls sat in a haystack. The younger one had her face buried in the older's shoulder. The older girl stroked the younger's auburn hair and murmured words of comfort. Her own dark chocolatey hair covered most of her face.

Right as I was about to walk up to them, I saw something in the older girl's posture change.

She sat up straight, and then stood quickly to go inside.

When she returned, the little girl was gone and she had her hands pressed against her face. Presumably to hide her tears as she ran off into the woods.

"Poor dear," someone tutted.

"They were just engaged," someone sighed.

"I heard they had a secret wedding," one of the gossipy old ladies said in an ooh-isn't-that-scandalous voice.

I walked past them, "Hello?"

They didn't acknowledge me, but I thought they were just being rude.

I called out a few more greetings, but no one responded.

Except one man stood and walked towards me.

"Sir? Can you tell me where I-"

Instead of bumping into me...he walked right through me.

"...am?"

A few more people stood, and they passed right through me too, like I was a ghost.

I pressed my hand to my chest, I was solid! Why did they pass through my like I was nothing?

Running to a building, I punched it.

A wave of pain shocked my arm, which proved that I WAS solid. To everything except humans.

What was I?!

I looked at my reflection in the window, but the boy with the wild blue eyes and the messy white hair that stared back was a complete stranger.

All the people carried on, as if I wasn't here. As if there wasn't a boy who's world was beginning to crumble right before them.

My world did begin to crumble that day. It's still crumbling now, three hundred years later.

Three hundred years ago, when I ran back into the forest on the first day of my memory, I can recall branches scraping at my face and sharp stones digging themselves into the soles of my feet. I recall throwing myself to the ground and screaming as loud and long as I could.

That day marked the beginning of a long thirty years full of deathly blizzards weighing down roofs and harsh winds howling a warning to people to stay indoors.

It was known as "The Curse of Jackson Overland."

The Moon told me that my name was Jack Frost, so I decided my full name was Jackson Overland Frost.

That's all the Moon ever told me.

Never how to get people to see you, or believe in you...

I'm starting to give up hope that I'll ever have a real family, or ever be accepted, as all of the people who might've known me are all long gone.

And now, I'm completely alone in this world.

The first thing I remember was the warmth, and the light. A golden glow surrounding me. I remember wondering if I had died and now I was in Heaven.

But Heaven doesn't have this pain.

I felt like I had been frozen and smashed into pieces and then sewn back together before being burned.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked around.

A woman kneeled beside me, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice raspy and dry.

The woman handed me a bucket full of clear water with a ladle before answering, "You're back in your room. In the tower."

I looked around at the blank walls and simple bed. It didn't look like a place I'd enjoy living in for long.

"Who are you?"

The woman brushed a few strands of curly black hair out of her face before replying, "I'm your Mother."

Tucking my hair behind my ear, I registered this. You'd think her telling me this would bring back at least a few memories, but no. I had nothing.

"We've lived her nearly all your life. The last time you were outside was when you were three."

"Why haven't I ever left since?"

She hesitated, "You have a...gift."

"That's specific," I muttered.

"Don't mumble," she snapped.

That was harsh.

"I'll show you," she sighed. Carefully, she untucked my hair so the blonde strands fell partially into my face.

Before I could ask, she began to sing.

"Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine."

As she sang, the blonde strands slowly began to shine with a golden glow. I gasped and grabbed at the rest of my hair, staring at it.

"It has the power to heal the sick and injured," she said. "It also has the power to keep someone alive forever."

"My hair was just glowing..."

"I know it's a lot to take in but-"

"My HAIR was just GLOWING!" I cried. Did she not understand how crazy this was for me? "Is that NORMAL?"

Mother shook her head, "It's not. That's why you're up here, to keep you safe."

"From what?!"

"Anyone who would want to use your powers for selfish reasons. I don't want you to be used by people."

My thoughts were racing all over so much I couldn't even respond.

"I'll leave you alone to think things through. I'll be in the kitchen," Mother said, standing and exiting.

Forcing myself to my feet, I then stumbled my way over to the small window and looked out at the bare trees.

The sun was setting, the last light of day slowly fading away.

Something felt off about all of this.

If I could recall a few memories, maybe I wouldn't be as suspicious. But I hardly recognized anything about this tower.

In fact, when I looked at myself in the mirror I hardly recognized myself! The waist length blonde hair just threw me off.

When I reached up to brush the hair away from my face, I noticed the ring. A silver band around my ring finger. It was simple, but it felt...special.

My name is Rapunzel. And that's all I know.

I suppose my last name is Gothel, but it doesn't roll off my tongue easily so I just say my name's Rapunzel. Not that I have anyone to introduce myself to.

The reason my hair glows, is because of a flower. A magical flower that grew from a single drop of sunlight and had the same powers as my hair. When I was young, I found that flower in some bushes. I took the flower and started to eat the berries growing in the bushes.

The berries were poisonous and I died, but somehow the flower brought me back.

Mother thanks the stars it did.

But what's the point of being alive if you stay in a tower for three hundred years?

What's the point if you're alone?


	2. Chapter 2

**To anyone who read the first chapter and came back to read the second THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**This is my first fanfic (if you didn't guess) and I really appreciate anyone taking time to read it.**

**Not sure if I'm required to say this but: I DO NOT OWN JACK FROST OR RAPUNZEL OR EITHER MOVIE, THAT IS WHY THIS STORY IS A FANFIC.**

**FrozenLanterns: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter:)**

**Guest: You're too kind but thank you also**

**BlueAcrylicPaint: That was quite mushy, but thanks anyway haha. The (POV Change) I had between transitions vanished. Sorry if anyone got confused!**

**Here's Chapter 2**

"That was fun," I laughed. Looking down from my perch on top of one of the tall Russian onions, I had a perfect view of the chaos I had just caused: people trying to gather scattered paperwork, kids laughing as their friend tried to unstick their tongue, people rubbing their sore bottoms from my Slip 'n Slide: Winter Edition.

So maybe it wasn't exactly fun for the humans, but whoops. That's life.

I suppose it wasn't the Russians' fault I was in a sour mood. Phil-the Yeti-had caught me and kicked me back into the blizzard before I could even glimpse at the Pole.

All I wanted was to ask North for some advice about getting kids to believe in me, but whatever. He has to get his child-bribing plans ready for Christmas.

"Hey, Wind! Take me home!"

About two seconds after the words left my mouth, the breeze sped up and carried me along with it until I was back in Burgess. My home.

Since I'm immortal and I can ride on the wind, I've been all over the world. Twice.

But I always return here, to the city that had grown up around my lake.

I shook that from my head. Thinking about the day I rose from the lake messed with my head, and I was trying to keep my spirits up today.

Why? Because it was my birthday!

So I guess it's not EXACTLY my birthday. I don't know when it actually is, and I suppose at this point it doesn't matter anymore.

But it was December 1st, and that marked the beginning of Winter for me.

December 1st is the official day I'm really SUPPOSED to start frosting windows and freezing ponds, and February 28th is the official last day. But I always come a little early and stay a little late, mainly to irritate E. Aster Bunnymund.

Man, the Blizzard of '68? Bunny was so mad that I froze all of his 'googies' that he opened one of his dumb rabbit holes underneath me so that I fell through to the middle of the Caribbean.

It's fantastic for Summer getaways, not so much for Winter Spirits.

Anyway, since I could now do my stuff without being reprimanded, I celebrated with a giant blizzard over my home.

"Snow day!" I called out as I flew over streets and pulled books from kids hands to throw in the air, "No school today, kiddos," I told them.

One kid scrambled for his book though, brushing the snow off of it after picking it up.

The cover said, "Mysterious Times: THEY'RE OUT THERE!"

"Huh, that looks interesting. Is it good?" I asked the kid.

He didn't even glance up.

A few other kids ran up to him, "Yeah man!" "Snow day!"

"You're welcome," I mock-bowed.

The kid reading about the mysterious times led his friends into a yard, animatedly talking about how they found Bigfoot hair samples in Michigan.

I perched on the fence to watch them, he seemed like a pretty interesting kid.

But it sort of bothered me. He looked so excited, and his friends all...I don't know. They brushed him off like he was acting like a four year old.

It made me wonder. If people ever start believing in me, and I actually start having friends, if they'll treat me like a kid. (I suppose that, for a 318 year old, I AM kind of ever so slightly immature.)

"Jamie! Bring a hat!" a woman called.

The kid looked up right as she shoved a winter hat down on his head.

"You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose," she smiled, tapping Jamie's nose with her finger.

I sat up straight, she said my name!

"Who's Jack Frost?" Jamie asked.

His mom laughed, "No one! It's just an expression! You take everything too literally."

"Hey!" I protested. Just an expression?!

As Jamie and his friends walked away, I felt something tighten in my chest.

"Who's Jack Frost?" I muttered, jumping off the fence and reaching down to scooped up some snow. "Yeah, I'll show you 'just an expression'!"

I packed the snow together into a ball and, getting my aim just right, I threw it. Because I've been an expert snow ball thrower since forever (if I do say so myself), it hit Jamie. Right in the back of the head.

"Hey! Who threw that?" he asked, turning around.

I soared over and landed in front of him, "It wasn't Bigfoot," I smirked.

He spotted two kids and threw snowballs at them, hitting one in the face and the other on the back of their shoulder.

The one he hit on the shoulder whirled around, "Jamie! No fair!"

"You struck first!" he laughed, tossing a few more at her.

Yep, I really like this kid.

Soon, there was an all-out snowball war. It was fantastic!

"Okay, who needs ammo?" I asked, skating around the edge of the battlefield and using my magic to make snowballs appear.

Jamie ended up getting hit in the face so hard he toppled backwards and knocked a snowman over.

"Oops," I laughed.

I rushed over to help him up, but when I reached out my hand, I remembered he couldn't see it. He simply jumped to his feet and ran through me to continue his fun.

Oh...

Right.

The kids kept throwing snow at each other like nothing had happened, which nothing really had. Not to them at least.

What? I asked myself. Did you think a few snowballs would change anything?

My day was officially ruined.

I was uncomfortable just standing there, so I floated away to return to the forest.

Up in my favorite tree, I leaned my head against the trunk and closed my eyes. It had been about a month since I last slept, and I was exhausted.

It took a while for me to actually rest though.

(POV Change)

"RaPUNzel! Let down your haAIR," Mother called.

"Uh...hold on Mother!" I called back, tugging on my hair. Earlier I had left my box of paints on top of one of the shelves in the kitchen. (I had been painting the wall above it) and I couldn't reach it, no matter how much I stretched my arms or broke my toes trying to stand on their tips.

So, being the problem solver I am, I used my hair as a lever to get me up there the way I normally do. Except I tied it too tight, and now I couldn't loosen my hair from the supporting beam.

"I'm not getting any younger down here!"

"I know! Just...just hold on!"

My hair was just not having it apparently.

"Give me a break!" I muttered, attempting one last final tug.

I shrieked and stumbled backwards, crashing into the counter. My frying pan flew up into the air and clattered to the ground.

"Are you all right?" Mother called. She must've heard me shriek and the frying pan crash.

"I'm fantastic," I moaned, rubbing my head.

After I had recomposed myself (and glared at my hair-I swear it has a life of its own!) I walked over to the window and sheepishly grinned down at Mother.

She shook her head, but I think I saw a faint smile.

I looped my hair around the hook jutting from the windowsill and WOOSH. My hair tumbled the 70 feet from the window to the ground.

"Hello Mother, welcome home," I smiled as she hopped through the window.

She fluffed out her curly black hair and gave me a hug, "Good morning Rapunzel."

As usual, she headed straight to the mirror to decide whether or not she needed my magic. It used to be she'd only need it once every few days, now it's increased to almost everyday she returns with forming wrinkles and graying hairs.

While she was occupied with that though, I sat out on the window sill, looking out at the meadow. The flowers were starting to wilt away so I wanted to admire the colors while I could.

"How was your morning?" I asked, slightly distracted by a bird flying by.

"Oh my dear, it was AWFUL!" Mother cried.

My heart sank, "Oh?"

"First of all, Winter has just started and it's completely frozen ALL OVER," she said, shuddering at the thought.

In my mind, I thought about the times I had caught snowflakes on my tongue and built tiny people in the little snow that accumulated on the window sill. What's wrong with Winter? I actually missed it. Other than Spring, Winter was my favorite season and now I don't get it anymore because of the veil.

"And I thought I overheard some ruffians talking about a girl with magic hair!" Mother exclaimed. "My did that startle me. I ran here right after to make sure they hadn't found you."

Like that's even remotely possible..

It still made my heart jump, though. Mother had practically drilled it into my brain that lots of people tried to cut or sell my hair, and that if anyone found me they'd all start trying again.

"Well they didn't," I gave a weak smile, turning slightly so I was looking at her instead of out the window.

"So how has your morning been?" Mother asked.

"I got my hair tangled around the-"

"Speaking of hair! I need you to sing for me! Look at this!" she pointed at the three gray hairs marring the purity of the raven black.

"You could just yank them out," I muttered under my breath as I moved my stool and grabbed my hairbrush. My head still ached slightly from my crash, and singing was likely only going to make it worse.

"Rapunzel. You know I hate the mumbling."

"I know, sorry. I was just talking to myself."

Mother arched an eyebrow, then nodded.

I set some of my hair in her lap and sang, "Flowergleamandglowletyourpowersshinemaketheclockr eversebringbackwhatoncewasmine."

She hardly had enough time to brush through my hair before the glow had already subsided.

"Rapunzel!" she cried.

"Mother!"

I saw a smile appear, as badly as she was trying to suppress it.

She reached out to brush my hair behind my ear, "I'm going out again, in a few minutes. There's still some business I need to take care of."

"What business?" I asked.

"Oh nothing," she kissed my forehead.

As she stood and walked over to the kitchen, I felt a slight wave of courage.

"Mother, do you think you could take-"

"WHAT is THAT?"

I jumped, "What is what?"

She turned, eyes flashing silver, "That painting."

The kitchen wall I had been painting was covered in dark night sky blue, with the exception of the bright yellow dotting it.

"It's those floating lights...that I used to watch every winter..."

"I told you those were only stars."

"No, Mother," I shook my head. "They're something else, something special. But they aren't stars, I know it!"

"Wash it off," she said darkly.

"But...why?"

"Don't argue with me, Rapunzel! I said WASH IT OFF!" she walked over to me.

Whenever she was angry, her eyes changed to the color of razors. They make my heart race, like it's trying beat it's way from its spot in my chest and run away from her.

"You don't have a good enough reason to make me," I replied, wincing at how squeaky my voice was.

"It's something from out there!" she pointed at the window. "And you are not leaving this tower EVER!"

"Why?! There's NOTHING out there! You have NO reason to be worried for me!" I cried, surprising myself. "It's not like anyone remembers there being a little girl with magic hair THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO!"

Mother looked shocked as well, I had never argued with her before. Her eyes faded back to soft blue gray, "Rapunzel...it's not what you think. If you left this tower, you'd be killed. And I'm not just saying it's a possibility. I'm saying it's a fact."

"I could handle myself out there. I wouldn't be KILLED," I said, crossing my arms and looking away. "You just don't believe in me."

She placed her hands on my shoulders and forced me to look at her, "Rapunzel, listen to me. This really is for your own good."

Before I could say anything, she had pulled me into a hug.

"I can't lose you. I love you too much."

"I love you more," I replied sadly, realizing she had gotten her way again.

"I love you most."

(POV Change)

"Jack..." the voice echoed around me, like a ghost. "Jack! Jack? Jack... JACK!"

"Who's there?!" I cried, whirling around.

"Jack! Help!"

The voice came from one direction, so that's the way I ran.

As I approached, I saw a girl with her back turned to me. Her long brown hair fell to her waist and she wore a long skirt, like what an Amish woman would wear.

"Hold on!" I cried to her.

Before I could reach her though, I had my path blocked by the snowball children.

"Who's Jack Frost?" "Nobody!" "It's an expression!" "No one actually believes in him."

"I'm not just an expression!" I cried. "I'm real!"

Forgetting the girl, I just ran.

The Moon shone above me, just out of my reach.

I ran across the lake, trying to catch up to him. Right as my fingertips brushed the Moon, the ice caved in.

"Help me!" I yelled to the Moon.

It laughed, "Why would I help you? Making you immortal was a mistake. Drown for all I care."

I pounded on the ice, which had refrozen above me.

My lungs were screaming for air, and my arms felt like they were being ripped apart by the cold. But I wouldn't die. I wouldn't even go unconscious.

The snowball kids returned, ice skating across the lake above me. They ignored my screams for help. Instead they sang a warped Christmas song.

"Jackson drowning in a frozen lake, Jack Frost nipping at his nose. Except, as we've said, many times many ways, Jack Frost is only a myth..."

"I'm not a Myth!"

I woke with a start, heart pounding and a cold sweat beading my hairline.

Circling my tree was a black night mare, one of the Boogeyman's. Well that explains a lot.

"Get out of here," I told it, swinging my staff down so it disintegrated into black snow.

Rubbing my forehead, I sighed. I felt even more tired now than I did before I fell asleep. Nightmares really took it out of me.

I've never even met Pitch Black, the boogeyman the Guardians are so scared of. I don't understand why he keeps plaguing me with these nightmares.

I hugged my knees and buried my face into my arms.

Despite the fact actual cold weather had no effect on me, I was shivering. My bones were chilled and I could feel the goosebumps prickling my skin.

In my mind, a montage of the first thirty years I remember played around. Those years were definitely the hardest. All I could do was fly around and try to control my powers but fail miserably. And beg for the Moon to tell me who I used to be.

I still beg sometimes, I still want to know who I was so badly. But he NEVER ANSWERS.

"Okay," I told myself. "I'm done with this."

I jumped up into the air and soared over the forest, scanning it for people. Maybe I could go to the lake and prevent kids from falling in.

Yeah! I like that idea.

But before I made it to the lake, I was pushed back slightly. Not much, but enough to get my attention.

If I hadn't been flying so fast I probably wouldn't have noticed it.

It was like running through knee deep water, or trying to run in a dream where you're being chased. It made your legs feel like they were useless blobs of jello.

Only I was flying, so what was going on?

I reached out with my hand tentatively.

It felt like trying to push two magnets together that didn't attract. (I forget if it's opposites that don't attract or similar.)

It seemed to only be right in this spot, if I moved two feet up I didn't feel it.

"All right, let's see if this works," I got a firm grip on my staff, causing the blue glow to intensify. I poked the invisible force with it, and watched as frost spiraled out.

It was like one of those games where you try to guess what the blurry picture is of, as it gets clearer and clearer the more you look at it, and the more points you get the sooner you guess.

About halfway through, I guessed that it was a door.

"Yeah, ten points, self five!" I chuckled when I saw I was right.

But then I thought about how weird it was. An invisible door thirty feet above a forest. What was that even about?

After staring at it for a good five minutes, I decided that yes, I WAS going to open it and see what was behind it.

I ducked and stepped through.

(POV Change)

Rubbing my eyes, I trudged to the kitchen to start making myself breakfast.

I tried not to look up at the washed off paint, but I couldn't help it. Sigh.

Straightening my back and shaking it off, I grabbed my frying pan and started to make pancakes.

As I cooked, I hummed. The humming led to softly singing the words, which led to singing, which led to slight dancing, until I was putting on a full one woman show in my kitchen.

"Tangled: The Musical!" I joked with myself, thinking about how badly I needed to brush my hair.

I could practically FEEL the knots forming. It's probably one of the most uncomfortable feelings ever.

So after I had filled myself with pancakes, I spent the next two hours brushing out my hair. It was fun, obviously.

Outside, I heard birds chirping, practically summoning me to the window. So that's where I drifted, until I realized I had been staring out the window for an hour.

It was especially perfect out today. I felt like I could reach up and brush my fingers through the sky. It was that just right shade of blue, the kind that hurt your eyes slightly but was too beautiful to look away. And the breeze carried the aroma of flowers and grass up to me.

Closing my eyes, I imagined what the grass would feel like against my feet or what it'd be like to make a wish on one of those dandelions.

But then I opened my eyes, and remembered that I was still up here, seventy feet away from the ground.

Sigh.

I pulled my hair over my shoulder and dropped it, letting it cascade to the ground. Hey, now at least part of me was outside.

"When will my life begin?" I wondered.

(POV Change)

When I opened the door, I was greeted by a warm Spring breeze pulling me in and shutting the door behind me.

I didn't understand what I saw before me.

It was just a meadow, what's so special about it that it needs to be hidden behind a magic door?

Ordinary grass, ordinary waterfall, ordinary stream, ordinary tower...

Tower?

It stood in the very center, so tall it touched the clouds.

Okay, still. What's so great about a tower?

I walked closer to it tentatively, examining it.

From the window at the top of the tower, a long train of gold fell to the ground and piled up a little. Is that...hair?

"Who grows their hair this long?" I asked under my breath, floating over and letting a few blonde strands run through my fingers.

I wondered who this hair belonged to, and why they lived in a tower in a hidden meadow. They'd probably be very interesting to talk to. (Too bad I'm invisible.)

It didn't really matter if I went to go at least LOOK at them. It's not like they'd see me floating right in front of them. So I soared upwards until I was level with the window.

The girl had her cheek propped against her hand and was looking at me, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Wait...she was looking at me...at ME...AT me!

We just looked at each other in shock, until she broke the silence by shrieking and yanking on her hair to pull it back into the tower.

She gave me one final terrified look before slamming closed the shutters.

"Wait!" I cried.

(POV Change)

I froze. I knew that voice.

The shutters creaked as he slowly pushed them open. I whirled around and started to back away, keeping my eyes focused on him in case he made a move for my hair.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he frowned.

Pointing my frying pan in his direction, I warned, "Don't come any closer!"

He raised his eyebrows and looked at the frying pan, then back at me in a 'really?' way.

Then he lifted his Shepard's crook into the air and I winced, terrified he was about to use some terrible magic against me. (Hey he WAS floating like a minute ago)

But then he dropped it to the floor and kicked it away, far enough away he wouldn't be able to grab it. I noticed the strange chill that had followed him in vanished the moment the staff was out of his hand. What else could that think do?

"I put down my potential weapon," he said, nodding at the staff sitting lifelessly on the floor. "Now you have to put down yours."

Hesitantly, I put my frying pan back on the counter. I kept it in reach though, my heart was thudding and I wasn't sure I could trust him. He still might have a hidden pair of scissors or something.

How did he even get past the veil? Mother said that only she had that power..

Slowly, he walked towards me. Everytime a floorboard creaked beneath him a small shock of panic was pumped through my veins.

I noticed he didn't wear shoes. That made me warm up to him a teeny bit.

Soon, there was less than a foot of space between us.

"You can see me..." he breathed.

"Am I not supposed to be able to?" I forced a laugh.

He shook his head in disbelief and smiled.

He wasn't anything like I would imagine a boy to look like. Mother said they had pointy fangs dripping with the blood of the hearts they had broken, that their eyes were soulless and cruel. The boy's smile was beautiful, no blood or fangs. And his eyes...God his eyes. They were the exact shade of blue I imagined a crystal clear sea would be, or like the color of an underwater iceberg. They were beautifully alien, nothing like Mother's bluish gray eyes or my own green ones. They weren't a color any paint could do justice.

His snowy white hair was messy and windblown, like he hadn't even heard of a brush, just how I had never heard of white hair. This boy was by far the strangest thing I'd ever seen. (Not that that's saying much though.)

I could feel my fears melting away the more I stared, he couldn't be dangerous, could he?

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Jack Frost," he murmured in reply. He was looking at me the way Mother looked at her reflection: like he was viewing the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. That can't possibly be it though, I'm not beautiful. Mother says I'm only "adorable". So...why was he looking at me like that?

I felt my face get hot and I tucked my hair behind my ear, my nervous habit.

Mother's words screamed in my ear, to run or knock him out with a frying pan or SOMETHING. But I ignored it. Some other voice, a louder voice, was telling me to not be scared. So I told myself to relax and asked carefully, "How did you find me?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! Thank you for coming back to read Chapter 3 I really do appreciate it**

**For those who have reviewed (FrozenLanterns, Lily Sunkiss, Guest, and CrystalSearcher) all I really have to say is thank you thank you thank you times a billion, I really hope you like the chapters to come. **

**So this is going to be a short (ish) chapter, just kind of wrapping up Jack and Rapunzel's meeting. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3!**

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER JACK!

Okay yeah you're looking at the most beautiful girl you've ever seen BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN ACT LIKE AN IDIOT.

She was hugging herself, shoulders scrunched up to her ears. Why did she look so scared? I know she had just asked me something, but I could make myself speak.

I was kind of distracted by her big green eyes. They were framed with dark lashes and looked so innocent and..perfect. Everything about her was perfect, right down to the little heart shaped freckles dotting her nose.

My heart was thudding in my ears and it's volume increased the longer I stared at her.

"How did you find me?" she asked, a little more forcefully.

SAY SOMETHING! ACT LIKE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A FUNCTIONING BRAIN!

"I...uh...just found the..." I pointed out the window, "...thing..."

I didn't really like how she was looking at me like I was the biggest moron she's ever met.

Mentally, I slapped myself and commanded my mouth to cooperate, "So what's...your name? Or should I just call you Blondie?"

"Rapunzel," she said. "Rapunzel, NOT Blondie."

Gaining confidence, I raised my eyebrow and looked her up and down, "Yeah I think you're more of a 'Blondie'."

"You're blond too!" she protested.

"This?" I ruffled my hair and grinned, "This is what an albino's hair looks like."

She tried to insist that, "It's platinum blond!"

But I denied it, "No, it's really not." The only pigment in my hair was a silvery color, not blond at all.

Pulling herself up to sit on the kitchen counter, she crossed her arms and pouted.

Chuckling, I walked over to grab my staff from the floor.

When I looked back, I saw she had tensed up and was hugging her knees, "What are you doing?" she asked, eyes wide as she stared at the staff.

"Relax," I told her. "I just want to do this," I floated up so I could sit on top of her closet, "See?"

She regarded me warily, but relaxed after a few moments, "So now that you can talk...how _did_ you find me?"

Shrugging, I replied, "I wasn't really looking for you, I was just flying above the forest and I felt a weird magic force thingie and it turns out it was the door that opened to this world."

"Door?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Yeah, your meadows completely surrounded by a magic force field and there's a door connecting it to the real world," I explained. That's what I assumed was going on, at least.

This looked like news to her, "A door?" she whispered. "Mother never said anything about-"

"Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" a voice interrupted.

Rapunzel froze, then looked at me in panic, "You have to hide! Now!"

I really didn't, but okay. I drifted up to one of the supporting beams where I sat in perfect view of Rapunzel as she tossed her hair out the window.

(POV Change)

"Hello darling," Mother smiled, kissing my forehead. "I'm making hazelnut soup for dinner, your favorite!"

Out of the corners of my eyes, I checked to make sure Jack was hiding, "Thank you Mother!"

She embraced me, then strode off to the kitchen to start cooking.

Jack floated down beside me, "Huh, is that really your Mom?" he asked. OUT LOUD.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I mouthed.

"Answer my question first," he said, still out loud.

"Yes," I hissed.

"You two don't look much alike," he mused.

In panic, I looked at her, expecting her to be screaming and about to chop Jack's head off with a knife. But no, she was humming and chopping parsnips.

"Chill," he laughed. "It's not like she can see me."

She can't?

To demonstrate, Jack walked over to Mother and waved his hand in front of her face. She didn't even flinch. Why couldn't she see Jack? And how did he know she wouldn't be able to see him?

My head started to ache as I tried processing everything.

Okay, as soon as Mother's out of the room I have a ton of questions for Jack...

"Oh! That reminds me!" Mother turned around. "I also brought you something!"

I perked up, "Really?"

She smiled and pulled a package wrapped in brown paper from her cloak.

Excitedly, I unwrapped it.

It was a book!

An...astronomy book.

"Thank you, Mother," I said, less than excited. Not that I didn't love the stars...it's just I've already charted them. Didn't she remember me showing her?

"So it'll show you what stars are," she informed me, kissing my forehead.

"I'll be sure to read all about that," I told her as I added it to my bookshelf. My books (in alphabetical order): Botany, Cooking, and Geology.

Jack walked over and gave my books a funny look. Then, without explanation, he walked to the window and hopped out.

I wanted to call out, ask him to come back or at least to explain why he was leaving. But I couldn't, because Mother was there.

My heart sank down into my stomach as I watched him fly away.

The worst part was I had to hide it, because I didn't want Mother to ask.

(POV Change)

"Okay," I said to myself. "What books would Rapunzel want?"

I was standing in a dusty old bookstore where the only person other than me was a half blind old man behind the register. It was one of those stores where everything was cheap and seemed dipped in sepia.

Being, whatever I am, I don't need a whole lot of sleep or food, which makes shopping easy. Whenever I DO need to buy something, I tend to go to these kind of stores so if I couldn't scrounge up enough money, I wouldn't be stealing anything valuable.

Luckily, I did have enough for four books. (They took forever to pick though)

Considering her other book selections, she likes learning. And when I was up "hiding" I noticed a star chart. An extremely detailed star chart. So obviously she's pretty smart, considering she lives in a tower and thinks my hair's blond. But I finally settled on three non fiction books and one fiction, in case she wanted to read about a magical wizarding school.

So I left the money on the counter and headed back to the forest. I was surprisingly excited to show her what I had gotten her. It was weird, I don't remember the last time I was looking forward to something this much. I couldn't wait to get back to the tower.


	4. Chapter 4

**So guess what? I'm going to celebrate and post another chapter. Why? I have no idea. I'm just in a really good mood and yeah. **

**Lily Sunkiss: here's an update!**

**FrozenLanterns: I won't be explaining it now, but I will soon don't worry:)**

**The gist of this is that Jack has been visiting Rapunzel in her tower, bringing her gifts . For over a year now, so it's the beginning of Winter again. And they're both ignorant to their true feelings.**

**It's a pretty short chapter, again, they'll get longer. Hopefully. **

**There's also a Rapunzel Gothel Mother-Daughter bonding scene. In this fic, Mother Gothel loves Rapunzel. I firmly believe Gothel loved her in a slightly twisted way, but still love nonetheless.**

**I, again, thank anyone who has decided to read this.**

"Look," he nudged my arm. "First star of the night."

I looked and saw the star, shining bright in the darkening sky. Sunsets were my favorite. I loved watching the stars poke out one by one as the bright fiery orange softens to pinks and purples before settling on midnight blue.

"Make a wish," he whispered.

So I did.

"What'd you wish for?" he asked.

"If you tell your wish, it won't come true," I replied.

Although I'd never admit it to him, I really liked when he stayed to watch the sunset with me, and stargazing was another thing I've always loved. It's always fun when Jack points out funny constellations that I'm almost completely sure he made up on the spot. (I highly doubt there's actually an annoying donkey that jumped too high and ended up next to a showoff cow.)

"What if it's something I can get you?" he asked. "Then it won't come true if you DON'T tell me."

I laughed, "It's not really anything you could get for me."

Over the past year Jack had been bringing me small gifts once a week, like foods and books and even a music player. But my wish wasn't for any of that, "What did _you _wish for?

He gave me a funny look before mimicking me, "If you tell a wish it won't come true."

"Well..." now, if I were Jack, I'd have a response to this. But I'm me, and witty responses have never really been my forte.

Before he could somehow twist my words around and trick me into telling him my wish anyway (something he was extremely adept at) I said, "Mother and I used to stargaze all the time, she'd have me draw the constellations and we'd make wishes almost every night. But then in that astronomy book she got me it says that most of the stars are already burned out, so wishing on them is pointless."

"Wait, seriously? I thought once a star burned out you'd only get light for seven more minutes and then it'd blink out," he furrowed his eyebrows.

"That's the sun, smart one," I grinned. Absentmindedly, I began twisting and running my fingers through a strand of loose hair.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He caught my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine. I remember when him doing that made my face turn beet red.

I nodded, "But obviously the sun hasn't gone out yet, which is good."

He didn't reply.

"Jack?" I said after a few minutes, squeezing his hand, "Are you okay?"

He blinked, as if woken from a trance, "Yeah it's just...I'm wondering what the Moon's going to do when the Sun goes out."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I...nothing," he shook his head. "Forget it. So are most of those stars actually already dead?"

I nodded, "Pretty cheerful I know."

He shook his head and smiled at me. Not sure why, but I always got butterflies when he smiled at me like that.

We gazed at the stars for hours, until I finally looked back and saw the time.

"You probably should go," I said. "It's really late..."

"Yeah..."

"Goodnight Jack," I smiled, heading towards my bedroom. Although I really wanted to, I didn't try to hug him. The last time I tried, he jumped away from me like I had burned him. Being completely alone for three hundred years must've taken a toll on him. I understood. More than he knew.

"Night Blondie," he replied, quietly.

Back in my room, I sighed in content and slid into bed. When I closed my eyes to rest, I could see Jack. Just standing there as he tossed a snowball into the air and caught it, his signature smirk pulling at his lips.

Right before I drifted off, I felt a smile curl my lips.

I couldn't wait till he came back tomorrow.

(POV Change)

When did I start smiling? My face was actually starting to hurt me from sitting here with probably the stupidest looking grin on my face. I suppose the problem isn't when I started smiling, it's if I'll be able to stop.I tried distracting myself by flying around the world and making it snow, but I couldn't take my mind off of her.

It was a rare day: I wasn't visiting the Tower. Her mother was spending the day with her, so I didn't want to be there to ruin it. It seemed to mean a lot to Rapunzel to be with her mom. (Even though I had major doubts that a woman that young could be the mother of a girl Rapunzel's age.)

So when I decided I had enough of frosting Norway and Scotland, I went to the park and tossed coins into the wishing fountain. Since I had been so busy spending time with Rapunzel, it had been a fairly warm November, and they hadn't stopped the fountain yet.

Because I'm me, I tried to make the trickiest shots I could. Top basin? Check. Mermaid's lap? Check. Rim of the top basin? Close enough.

When I turned around to go scavenge for more coins, I saw a little boy stumble over to the fountain.

"I wish I could fly," he declared, tossing his nickel up into the air until-PLOP-it landed in the water.

As I watched him walk away, I decided to make his wish come true. No one was around, so what's the harm?So I flew after him and put my hands under his arms. Slowly, I lifted him higher and higher, laughing to his shrieks of delight.

We soared above town for a good five minutes before I set him down again.

"Aww," he pouted.

I tapped the ground in front of him with my staff so frost appeared. I then wrote: Hope you enjoyed your wish.

He stared in wonder as (to him) the words wrote themselves.

"Thank you wishing god!" he cried.

You'd think I'd be mad he was giving credit to a non-existent god, but I didn't mind, surprisingly.

Just seeing this kids eyes light up was enough, it made me feel like I was actually doing something good with my immortal life.

(POV Change)

"That settles it," Mother declared. "We never try to make a cake again."

I laughed, "Hey at least you'll be able to get the flour out of your hair in less than a week!"

Mother pulled at a few strands of her flour coated curly hair, "Unlikely."

Our cake might have exploded and coated us in a weird flour/sugar mixture...and we might look like we were made out of snow. But any proof of that has been removed from existence. (So hahaha)

"I'm going to change and bring out some washcloths," she announced. "You go change too."

A half hour later, we looked semi normal again. (I still had a ton of flour in my hair..)

"Let's see...are there any games you AREN'T a complete expert at?" Mother asked, assessing our game inventory.

"Of course not," I replied.

"All right, which game would I have a chance at?" she rephrased.

I smiled and stood on tiptoe to pull down the chess board, "You may be able to beat me at this."

She didn't, I caught her in a Fool's Mate, which made her eyes widen in the realization that nothing she could do was going to save her.

"You've got every possible strategy memorized!" she cried. "You're an expert at all of these games!"

"It's not like I have much else to do," I replied quietly, setting the pieces back into their proper place.

Mother opened her mouth to reply, then shut it and looked away from me, eyebrows furrowed.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, until finally Mother spoke.

"Rapunzel...I'm sorry," she said. "If there was any possible way you could be safe out there, I swear you'd never see this tower again."

I froze.

"This really is for your own good," she told me, reaching over the table to touch my cheek.

She looked...sad. I think she actually meant what she was saying.

Mother retired to her room without even hinting that she needed me to sing for her, despite the wrinkles slowly etching into her skin and the black hairs fading into gray.

When I went to my room myself, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my stomach. What did she mean?


	5. Chapter 5

**Dut-da**-**duh Chapter 5!**

**So I probably should change the summary now, cause it occurs to me that it doesn't have the full gist of what I'm planning. Pitch Black will be introduced, and shit's gonna get real. Or slightly real. Not real enough to be canon. ****(I should be banned from making these author notes when I'm tired cause I just end up rambling.)**

**Lilly Sunkiss: I promise they'll get longer, it's just that I write something and it turns out shorter than what I thought haha. I'm glad you like it though:)**

**FrozenLanterns: I've noticed that too, about Gothel being evil? And I really don't think she is. Not completely at least. And Jack and Rapunzel are just silly. And clueless. But yeah:)**

**Guest: Yay! I was actually really worried cause it seems the popular opinion is that Gothel's just a manipulative evil wench ^like FrozenLanterns said (maybe not in those exact words), but yay you like it!**

**jazzybizzle: Thank you!:D I hope you like the chapters to come**

**blueacrylicpaint: I'm really glad you like it too! Ah so many 'thank you's!**

**Oh I should mention that Rapunzel is keeping secrets from Jack, but not in a "oh no oh no he CANT find out" more like a "it's never occurred to me to tell you" way. **

**Anyway...**

**What time is it? CHAPTER TIME**

**(I apologize for my weirdness) **

Rapunzel's hips swayed softly as she cooked. I wonder if she knew that she danced around and hummed while she did chores. If she doesn't, I hoped she never finds out because it's too adorable for her to stop.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" she asked, giving me a nervous blushy smile.

"Oh, nothing," I shook my head and looked back at the chess board. We had started a game, but now I'm stuck. So she decided to start making dinner, claiming I was taking way too long to make a move. But it's kind of hard to play when your opponent is such an expert that no matter where you move you're still in check.

She set the food in the oven and drifted back over to me, "Have youstill not played yet?" she asked, smiling genuinely this time. "C'mon Jack!"

"Well excuse me, I only claimed to be good at checkers," I huffed.

Laughing, she leaned over my shoulder and moved my King over a space, "There, that's all you needed to do."

I stared it disbelief, "But..."

Of course, then she took me out with her knight.

"I demand a rematch!" I cried.

"Oh right, because sending your pawn after me is going to work the second time around," she teased.

"Yeah well chess is stupid anyway," I grumbled.

"Do you want any dinner?" she turned her neck to look at me.

"What is it?"

Wrinkling her nose, she held up the steaming muddy green dish, "It's Mother's favorite..."

"No," I shook my head, "Thanks anyway."

"Understandable," she set the tray down and pinched her nose before waving her hand in a failed attempt to ward the smell away.

Hopping to my feet, I walked over and rested my arm on her shoulder (she's perfectly short enough to be an excellent armrest), "Do you have any cookies?" Rapunzel's chocolate chip cookies were the best cookies in the world. Nothing compares.

"You ate them all, remember?"

"Oops," I chuckled.

She looked up at me and smiled.

Does she ever stop smiling? I wondered. Not that I'm complaining. I love her smile.

"You're so beautiful."

Her expression faltered, "What?"

Wait...did I just say that out loud?! YOU IDIOT!

"I mean...uh..." I felt the ground beneath me grow cold, a sign it was frosting over. Instead of turning red when I'm embarrassed, I start uncontrollably frosting. I quickly withdrew my arm so she wouldn't end up with a cold shoulder. (Is that a pun?)

Her expression was unreadable. Or no, it was obvious she was surprised, but in a good way or a bad way?

"Excuse me," I said, backing away towards the window. "I...uh...I'm just gonna go be awkward some where else."

She giggled, but it sounded more like her nervous giggle than a legitimate one.

As I flew away, I smacked my forehead multiple times. Why can't you keep your big stupid mouth shut?

Even if you think it's true...

(POV Change)

I waited until Jack had passed through the veil/door thing before I did a silly jumping up and down dance to release my nervous energy. He called me beautiful! Why? Now I had weird tickley feelings in my stomach and I just couldn't relax.

Okay, painting. Paintingwill help. Painting is good.

But my face wouldn't stop burning.

(POV Change)

You're going to ask her, I told myself. It's now or never.

I flew up to the tower window and hopped in, "Hey Blondie."

She was sitting on a supporting beam, paintbrush in hand, adorable concentrated expression on her face.

"Hey, what are you painting?" I asked, floating up to see.

It was a boy, with white hair and blue eyes and a blue hoodie. He was holding a long Shepard's crook in one hand and a snowball in the other. I don't look at mirrors a lot. Seeing my reflection reminded me that I was invisible and that I didn't know who I was. But from what I remember my face looking like, Rapunzel captured it perfectly.

"That's incredible," I gaped.

She smiled, "I've been working on it all morning."

I smirked, "That must've taken a lot of blue paint."

"It did. Do you think you can get me more?" she asked, hopefully. It seems like she was just choosing to forget my slipup yesterday. I was relieved.

I looped my arms around her to carry her back down to the floor, then set her down carefully, "You know...you could always go with me..."

She blinked and took two steps away from me, "Jack..."

"I'm serious," I said. "You deserve more than an eternity in this tower. You can only keep a bird in a cage for so long before if starts to flap its wings..."

"I...I can't!" she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, then untucked it, then tucked it again.

"Why? Because of your mother?"

"Yes.."

"If she was really your mother she'd want you to be happy," I countered. "It's not like she has any real reason to keep you up here."

Rapunzel pressed a knuckle to her forehead, "It's more complicated than that! She...there's something out there..."

"Yeah, people! That will love everything you have to offer," I said, gesturing to the countless paintings covering every inch of the walls. Who knows how much her incredible work would sell for?"

She stared at the floor.

"You always said you wanted to leave, how it's your dream to see those lanterns again," I said, referring to the Festival that took place every year on the Winter Solstice. "That's in a few weeks. You could go."

Her green eyes widened at that idea, but I could tell she was trying to find some new argument.

"Whatever, Rapunzel, forget it," I floated over to the window.

"Jack...wait..."

I gave her a serious look and asked, "Why do you choose to be invisible?"

When she didn't reply, I rolled my eyes and left.

(POV Change)

Rapunzel. He said Rapunzel. Not Blondie.

And his eyes glowed along with the blue scratches in his staff. They only did that when he was extremely upset, something I had only seen twice. Three times now, I guess.

Did he honestly think I was going to just up and leave?

I thought back to a few days ago, when I had told him about the floating lights I used to love. That I still love.

When I used to watch those lanterns, I remember feeling familiarity. It gave me hope that maybe I came from that village, and people were looking for me. And at night, I'd always have a dream of watching the lanterns. Sometimes I'd be a little girl being held by a tall man on his shoulders, other times I'd be the same age that I physically am-eighteen-and I'd be up in a tree with a boy with scruffy brown hair.

After the lanterns stopped, those dreams went away. I hardly ever dream now, unless they're nightmares.

Each night during the week after Jack had stormed out and not returned, my nightmares got increasingly worse and worse. Exactly a week after our fight, Jack was in my nightmare. Yelling at me about how he wished someone other than me could see him so he could be friends with someone not terrified of everything.

When I woke up, I went to my Mother's room.

"Mom?"

She glanced up from her mending, "Yes Rapunzel?"

"Can..." I walked over to the side of her bed. "Can I sleep here tonight?"

"Rapunzel," she scolded. "You're three hundred and eighteen."

I hugged myself, "I know but...I had a nightmare."

A slightly scared look flashed in her eyes, but it vanished so quickly I think I just imagined it. She sighed and moved over so she wasn't lying on the very middle of her queen sized bed.

"Thank you," I sat beside her.

"Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" she asked. Whenever I first started having nightmares, I would tell Mother everything andshe'd reassure me that I wasn't going to be trapped in a cavern filling with water or be chased by ruffians trying to use my hair, not as long as I stayed in the tower.

"No," I shook my head. "I just don't want to be in my room by myself.

She nodded, "All right, goodnight."

Before either of us could even move though, clatter from the kitchen caught both of our attentions.

"I'm sure the wind just knocked something over," she sighed. "I'll be right back, just go ahead and lie down. Do you want warm milk?"

I nodded, "Thank you Mother."

"You're very welcome."

(POV Change)

I knew I should go back, but what's the point? What's the point in going back and falling in love with someone who I'll never be able to have a normal life with?

Normal life, I laughed. That's not even remotely possible.

My chest tightened when I rethought my words: falling in love...am I? Is that what this feels like? Or is this what it's like to finally have a friend? It doesn't matter, I shouldn't have gotten so close to her anyway. She's a mortal. Even though she lives in a tower, she still is a regular eighteen year old...whereas I'm an immortal winter spirit who's three hundred years older than her.

Head spinning, I jumped out of my tree to get some fresh air.

Whenever I need to think clearly, I go up high. The power lines stretching across town are the only things taller than my tree. Three guesses as to where I went.

Maybe it'd be easier to just cut Rapunzel off. It's not like she could find me without leaving her prison. It'd be easierto just end it now rather than have it end with her growing old and dying. And then being alone again. If that was my fate to be alone, I'd rather it be my choice.

But never seeing her again? How could I just leave her like that?

The Moon watched me as I balanced on the power lines.

"What do you want?" I asked it.

No reply.

"This is all your fault you know," I said. "You didn't HAVE to save me from that lake. You could've let me die. You could've saved me from all this confusion!"

His silver glow seemed to intensify, as if he was trying to communicate.

"Sorry, I don't speak useless-floating-rock!" I snapped.

Do I even believe that the Moon is a real living being? Who says it was the Moon that saved me?

In frustration, I closed my eyes and raked my hair back. It had to have been the Moon. I overheard Bunny telling Sandy once that the Moon made a mistake in giving me the powers of a Guardian.

"He's right," I said. "You did make a mistake."

When I opened my eyes, a night mare was standing in front of me: snorting and neighing.

"What the hell? I wasn't even asleep!" I swung my staff through the stupid horse and watched the black frozen sand fall to the ground.

"Was that really necessary Jack?" a smooth, eerily calm voice asked.

"Pitch..." I said under my breath, eyes widening in fear.

He was standing in front of me, the King of Nightmares and Darkness himself. I felt like I was supposed to bow before him, but I resisted.

I saw a flash of anger in his silver eyes, but that might just be how they look. Like blades flashing in the light before cutting out someone's heart.

"So it's true," he laughed. "The Moon DID make you immortal. All I heard were rumors, and I didn't really believe them. But THEN, I heard your fears ringing out loud and clear and I knew I had to find you. Especially now that they've changed."

They've changed?

"It used to be that you thought you'd never be believed in, that you'll never remember who you used to be, or that nothing you do will ever make any impact on the world," he said.

Oh. Well I knew exactly why they're different now. But I wasn't about to let Pitch know.

His silver eyes began to glow blue, almost the same shade as my own.

"Let's see, so you found someone who believes in you and now you're scared she'll stop, or that you'll lose her somehow. You're also worried she'll never...leave...her tower..."

I didn't like his change in tone.

His eyes turned back to silver, but almost instantly started glowing gold with a frightening intensity.

"It's Rapunzel isn't it. You found Rapunzel!"

"How...how do you know her?" I asked, my heart freezing.

"How did you find her?!" he reached forward and put both hands around my neck, lifting me up into the air. I wanted to scream and hide or something... My heart was beating faster than it everhad before.

I grabbed at his hands, trying to pry them free. I could feel pressure building in my head and chest from lack of airflow.

"Tell me!" he yelled, squeezing on my neck.

My lungs screamed to tell him, my heart screamed to keep it a secret no matter what.

Pitch must've realized I wasn't giving in and dropped me.

I tumbled down to the ground, but luckily the wind sort of caught me. It didn't stop me from yelling a curse word extremely loudly though. I tried to push up using my arms, but I was too busy trying to breath again and they collapsed under me. Well that hurt.

"Either you tell me now," Pitch said. "Or I will destroy her. I know exactly where she is Jack. So there's no use in hiding it."

An image of Rapunzel beaten and bruised passed through my mind. The pain and fear corrupting her eyes was too much for me to handle.

No!

"I found...the door," I choked, still not able to completely breath normal.

"That's it?" Pitch asked. "A DOOR?"

"I thought...you knew..."

"It's called lying Jack, ever heard of it?"

He laughed evilly and melted away into a shadow.

"Leave her alone!" I yelled, but he was gone.

I had to save Rapunzel, I HAD to get there before Pitch.

I scrambled to grab my staff before I took off flying, despite the all over ache I had.

"Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh look, Chapter 6. Where did this come from?**

**Anyway, this chapter wasn't in my original story plan, but I think it (kind of?) makes more sense with it in. It's the conversationbetween Mother Gothel and Pitch. **

**My headcanon is that they started outalike Jack and Rapunzel, cause Gothel is so terrified of death and Pitch is sort of like the grim reaper (he looks like it) that she did believe in him and he was thrilled that someone could see him sothey were friends(?) But then they both grew more twisted and eventually Gothel became a tool for Pitch. **

**Blah blah, you can guess the rest. **

**This chapter is in third person, Gothel's perspective. (I suck at writing third person soooo..yeah)**

**FrozenLanterns: Gotta love dramatic irony. I'm glad you think it's interesting:) I was worried adding Pitch was going to make everyone mad that it's not going to be a fluff fic**

**blueacrylicpaint: I honestlydon't know. I have a lot planned, so it probably will be long:)**

**Guest: I love badass Jack. He won't be in this chapter though haha****  
**

Mother Gothel tentatively walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. Glancing around, she knelt and picked up the fallen baking tray.

That's all it was, she reassured herself. It just toppled over or something.

But the moment she turned her back to warm up the milk for Rapunzel, there was another clatter.

Whirling around, she only caught a glimpse of the shadowy figure.

"Show yourself!" Gothel demanded in a tight whisper, grabbing the frying pan from the counter.

It's not much of a weapon, she thought. But it's something at least.

"You're looking well," a cold voice said.

In the time it took Gothel to blink, Pitch appeared. She jumped, but relaxed after a moment.

"You look as pasty skinned as ever," she replied.

Pitch rolled his eyes, which were on the verge of gold. Gothel took a deep breath so she wouldn't make another quip, she didn't need to make him mad.

Not considering the last time they had seen each other.

"Why are you here?" she asked, turning back around to pour the warmed milk into Rapunzel's favorite mug. "I don't remember telling you where I relocated."

"Well, I just returned from a very informative conversation," he sneered. "Would you like to guess who I spoke to?"

Gothel sighed, "I don't have time for this. You gave Rapunzel a nightmare and now she's too scared to be alone. I need to go back upstairs."

"Fine, I'll just tell you then," he didn't look one bit sorry for scaring the girl, "Jack Frost."

"Jack Frost?" she asked, confused. "Who's Jack Frost?

Pitch knew the name wouldn't ring a bell, so he added, "Also known as Jackson Overland."

Gothel froze, "Jackson? No...he's dead...I saw him fall into the lake!"

"Are you really that surprised? It's impossible to kill these kids. We need to figure out how to get rid of them."

She clenched her jaw, "We don't actually. Rapunzel's content up here, and Jack can go do whatever the hell he wants. It's not like they're a threat separately."

Pitch laughed, "I probably should mention, Jack's been visiting your precious Punzie for over a year now. They're quite close, it took me almost killing Jackie for him to tell me where she was."

No...that's not...that doesn't make sense!

"Why didn't I ever see Jack?" she asked. "He couldn't have been visiting that often..."

He rolled his eyes, "Cause you were so naive to believe you actually killed him."

"I'm not naive!" she snapped.

"Right, I forgot. You've only gone soft, not naive at all," he strode across the room, turning his back as if the conversation was over.

"What do you mean I've gone soft?" she asked, following him. "I have not!"

Pitch was staring at the painting of the blue eyed boy. Gothel had just assumed it was another imaginary friend Rapunzel had dreamed up and forgotten about. The girl was always coming up with strange characters like a red haired archer and a viking who rides dragons.

Gothel hadn't even noticed the resemblance between the painting and the peasant from three hundred years before.

"You let raising that little brat get to you," he replied. "I bet if I asked you to lock her in the cellar you wouldn't do it."

Gothel hesitated, would she? If it was the only way to keep Rapunzel up in the tower then yes.

When she didn't reply, Pitch laughed, "Like I said, you've gone soft."

"I would," she argued. "If you asked."

Pitch reached down and dipped his fingers in a bright red paint Rapunzel had left out, "And if I asked you to kill Frost?"

If what Pitch said was true, Rapunzel would be heartbroken if Gothel did as he was telling her. But who knows what he'd do if she didn't comply, "Of course."

He smeared the red across the painted boy's chest, "Good. He's on his way here right now."

Gothel nodded, fighting the lump in her throat. She barely managed to choke out, "How...how should I do it?"

Pitch pulled a sheathed knife from his cloak, "Use this."

The blade beneath the black casing was made of nightmare sand, guaranteed to kill even an immortal winter spirit.

"And if you fail again, I'll make sure Rapunzel never has a shred of happiness again," he threatened. "And you will be locked in a room with a mirror, and you can watch yourself die."

Her heart stopped briefly. Death was her greatest fear, and he knew it. He reveled in it, making these threats and paralyzingly her in absolute terror. But this time...this time he seemed to mean it.

"As you wish..." she nodded.

The moment Pitch left, leaving Mother Gothel alone in the dark room, a sudden wave of anger and fear hit her.

She knew that her efforts to hide Rapunzel have become more half hearted as the centuries past, and she knew that if someone had enough power they'd be able to open the veil...but she hadn't expected it to happen. No one was looking for Rapunzel, so how could anyone find the tower?

Tightening her grip on the knife's handle, she edged to the window, to a position where anyone who walked through the window wouldn't see her.

Besides, that boy should've died a long time ago. The fact he survived was a miracle in of itself.

I'm not going to fail again, she promised herself. I'm not.


	7. Chapter 7

**All right, I want you all to imagine something. Imagine I put an audio of the Inspector Gadget theme song only instead of Inspector Gadget it goes "duh duh duh duh dut duh cha-apter seven. Cause that's what I imagined in my head when I wrote this. (This weird I'm-tired-again author's note, not the actual chapter)**

**As always, thank you for returning to read the next chapter in the not quite dramatic tale of how I think Rapunzel and Jack met coughcoughandfellinlovecough I'm sorry, I had to cough there. I have a slight cold you see. **

**blueacrylicpaint: Why thank you. I need to stop reading applause as applesauce cause then I end up disappointed that we don't have any. **

**FrozenLanterns: I love Gothel and Pitch, especially as partners. They're two of the most well done villains, in my opinion. So, villain OTP:) One of these chapters I'm going to explain why Gothel killed Jack. But that chapter is not this chapter. This chapter I'm just going to make everything all the more complicated. **

**Guest: Oh Pitch. He's the reason we can't have nice things:)**

I've got my Mother's love, I thought. I shouldn't ask for more. I've got so many things that I should be thankful for.

My mind refused to shut off, partially from fear of another heart stopping nightmare, partially because all I wanted was to go back in time and accept Jack's offer. Leaving the tower and seeing the world has never been more appealing.

But I've got almost everything.

...except a door..

Stop it! I scolded myself. It's best if you just stay in.

With a sigh, the small independent Rapunzel that lived somewhere in my mind replied, But when will my life begin?

All I needed was some warm milk, then maybe I'd be able to fall asleep. Mother had said she'd bring me some...does it really take ten minutes?

Carefully, I climbed down the staircase to see if she needed help or something.

Mother was sitting by the window, staring out in silence. It wasn't sad silence though, or thoughtful silence. It was tense silence, angry silence. I wondered what was wrong.

"Mother? Are you okay?" I asked.

She didn't look at me, but I could see that her eyes were glowing silver.

Do my eyes glow when I'm upset?

"Mother?"

When she looked at me, all I saw was hate, "How could you Rapunzel?"

"How could I what?" I asked.

"You let HIM visit you every day! For A YEAR! You let him bring you things," she stood and flung two of Jack's books at me, a small dusty lavender and a small faded royal blue.

I stared at them, those were the two books I couldn't bring myself to read: Raiponce and Jokul Frosti.

I didn't reply.

"Don't you realize what you've done?! Pitch thinks I didn't hide you well enough! He's going to kill both of us!"

My heart stopped, "What?"

"Because of you I'm all out of chances! After today I'm gone. And if he doesn't kill you then he will make your life complete hell!"

I backed away from her. I've never seen her this raw. Her eyes were filled with tears, and I could see the complete panic beneath her anger. It was terrifying to see my mother, who was normally so composed and elegant, practically ripping her hair out.

"There's only one thing I can do," she muttered. "I'm sorry it's coming to this, Rapunzel. I'm so sorry," everything she said scared me even more. I had never seen my mother cry.

She moved to stand by the window, in a position where you wouldn't see her until you were already in the tower. In her hand, I saw something flash.

"What are you doing?" I asked, not fully understanding what was about to happen.

"It's the only way."

When I glanced out the window, I saw something I was not expecting. Jack, with his eyes wide with fear. When he saw me, he visibly relaxed.

All at once, everything clicked into place, "Jack! Go! Don't come in!"

He furrowed his eyebrows, but my warnings didn't stop him from ducking into the tower, "Thank God you're okay, I though that-"

"Jack!" I screamed as Mother shoved the knife into his side. He froze, then crumpled to his knees as she pulled it back out, "No!"

Curling into the fetal position, he clutched his wound and gasped from pain every few moments.

My wild eyed Mother stepped over him to grab me and pull me towards the back of the tower, towards the 'secret' bunker. Once she had threatened to make me live in there if I asked to leave the tower again...I didn't think she'd ever go through with the threat!

"Mother! Don't do this!" I cried, feeling tears prick at my own eyes. I don't care what "Pitch" was planning on doing to make my life hell, in my mind hell is that bunker, especially if I had to live with the fact Jack had been killed.

As I tried to fight Mother, I noticed my hair was close to Jack, maybe close enough to heal him.

Frantically, I began to sing, "Flower gleam and glow let your powers shine-MMF!"

She clamped her hand over my mouth before I could sing another verse or my hair could even start to glow.

Jack was coughing and writhing on the floor, like there was more to the wound than just a deep cut. He began to shiver and scream in fear, "Stop it! STOP IT!"

What did she do to him?

I bit down on her hand and it shocked her enough that I managed to escape.

"Jack!" I rushed to him.

"Rapunzel...just get out...of here..."

"Not without you," I replied, grabbing my hair to place it over the wound. I touched his face, "It's going to be all right."

"No!" Mother shrieked, grabbing my hair and yanking on it. She was a lot stronger than me, so I was pulled back, "Get away from that!" she grabbed onto me, only this time not dragging me back. She almost seemed to be...protecting me.

But she just stabbed Jack! I gave him a panicked look. Just the thought of him dying, right here in front of me, made my blood run cold. Tears started to build in my eyes, I was that scared.

Jack's eyes lit up in fury, practically sparking with the glowing blue, "Let her go!" he said, fumbling to grab his staff.

What exactly is he going to do with that? Cover her in frost?

He forced himself to his feet and swung the staff through the air, only making one small groan as an indication of pain.

Glowing blue electricity shot out of the staff, hitting Mother square in the chest. She went flying backwards, and I stood there in shock.

How had he done that?

Jack looped the crooked part of his staff around my waist, pulling me to him. He winced, but refused to let go.

"Jack...you were stabbed...like a minute ago.." I tried to remind him, but he ignored me and jumped out the window. I closed my eyes, expecting us to fall and hit the ground. But instead, we soared through the air. He almost dropped me, but then he refocused himself and clutched onto me tighter.

"Pull on your hair," he commanded. "Get...just get it out of the tower."

When I looked back, I saw that my hair still reached to the window, even though we were almost as far away from it as you can get.

So I pulled on it until the last few inches fell from the tower, right before Mother could grab at it.

"Rapunzel!" she screamed.

I looked away, I'm a horrible daughter.

"There, that's...the door," he winced, flying straight at the side of a rock.

"Are you sure?!"

"Not at all!"

I closed my eyes again, we were dead. It was guaranteed. Jack was delirious from pain or something, we were going to smash into that rock and...When I opened my eyes, I saw that we were soaring above a forest. We were safe! I couldn't help laughing.

My relief didn't last very long, though.

Jack cried out and dropped me, I landed with a thud on the dirt and he landed beside me. Instead of picking himself up, he simply curled up again.

Okay...okay okay I can handle this.

"Jack, I need you to relax," I said, gently prying his hands away from the wound. I just chose to ignore the fact his blood was silver. It wasn't important right now.

"Ouch!" I yanked my hand away. Why did his blood burn me? That makes no sense at all...

He cried out and grabbed at his side again.

"No! You'll only make it worse," I ignored the searing pain and pulled his hands away so I could put my hair over the wound.

Quickly, but steadily, I sang, "Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine..."

But when I had finished the song, the wound was still there. He was still crying out in pain.

"No...why didn't it work?!" I cried, trying again, more panicky. "Flowergleamandglowletyourpowersshinemaketheclockr eversebringbackwhatoncewasmine!"

It was still glowing like normal, but it had no effect on Jack.

His cries became weaker and weaker, and he soon grew still in my arms.

"Jack! No!" I felt for a heartbeat, and found it was slow, deathly slow. "Jack!"

Why wasn't my hair working?! Why wasn't he healed?! I can't lose him! Not like this!

I started to cry, singing the song over and over again, hoping it'd work the fourth time...or the seventh time...but it didn't.

"Don't leave me.." I whispered.

(POV Change)

Several voices echoed around in my head. I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, all the echoes overlapped each other so I couldn't really tell what it was saying.

"He's very don't he's very he's don't strong very he's potential very leave let he's leave potential strong me live..." or something along those lines.

Slowly, the pain in my side faded away.

Was I dying? I mean, there was the light.

Looked different than how I imagined though. I expected it to be white, and just like a dot off in the distance. Not a long train of glowy yellow gold.

Slowly, my vision sharpened and I realized that, I wasn't dead! I was in the forest, with Rapunzel.

What. The. Hell?

Rapunzel was singing frantically, tears streaming down her cheeks. Okay, that I part I was only mildly concerned about. But her hair...!

The glowing gold? The long train of gold I had thought was the light? IT WAS HER HAIR!

"WHY IS YOUR HAIR GLOWING?!" I cried.

She froze, then slowly lifted her tearstreaked face to meet my eyes, "...you were dead! Like two seconds ago! WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD?!"

"WHY IS YOUR HAIR GLOWING?!" I repeated.

We both just stared at each other in shock, until I felt a weird tickling sensation where it used to hurt. It was like spiders were knitting their web on my skin, it wasn't pleasant. (I suppose it's better than the impaled kidney feeling...)

As I watched, the wound that had been bleeding rapidly moments ago, shrunk and scabbed over, before it disappeared completely. The only proof I had just been injured was the tear in my hoodie and the crusty silvery blood on my hands.

We were both quiet.

"Does that usually happen?" Rapunzel finally asked. "Do you have your own special healing process?"

I shook my head and rubbed the smooth skin, noticing there was the tiniest scar that seemed to shrink even still, "I heal like humans...it never happens that fast...I don't know I've never been stabbed so maybe I heal faster if it's life threatening?"

Yeah, keep telling yourself that Jack. That makes perfect sense.

She hugged herself and continued to stare at the no longer existing injury.

"Why was your hair glowing?" I asked.

"I...uh..." she nervously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Why. Was. Your. Hair. Glowing?" I was trying to stay calm, I really was, but the more I thought about her hair glowing the more freaked out I became.

"Your blood is silver!" she argued.

"It doesn't glow!"

"...your eyes do..." she muttered.

"Rapunzel. Just tell me. Please."

She took a deep breath and pushed her hair back again, "I...when I was a little girl I found this flower. And so I put it in my hair and continued on my way...but then I was poisoned by some berries and I died. The flower...it grew from a drop of sunlight. So it healed me, and then the power somehow transferred into me."

Rapunzel was saved by the Sun, like I was saved by the Moon. Wow..

"So now it glows?"

"And it heals people. My mother put me up in the tower, so no one could use me for it. It's kept both of us alive since," she shrugged. The thought of her mother made me furious, but it faded when I saw how upset she looked.

"What do you mean it kept you alive?" I asked. She's only eighteen, why does she need magic to stay alive?

Burying her face in her hands so I almost couldn't understand her, she replied, "I'm threehundredandeighteenyearsold."

I took her hands so she had to look at me, "Say that again."

Sighing, she repeated, "I'm three hundred and eighteen years old. We've...I've been in that tower for at least three centuries. I don't remember the first eighteen years of my life, so...yeah."

"I thought you were mortal..." I half laughed. "I was terrified I'd have to watch you grow old while I stay eighteen forever, this is..."

"...insane," she finished my sentence with a smile.

After a moment, I asked, "Why didn't you tell me? Did you not trust me?"

"No!" she shook her head quickly. "It's just...Mother said if anyone ever found me that I can't tell them anything, or else they'd kidnap me so they can stay young and healthy forever."

I frowned, "But I wouldn't do that. I'd only kidnap you so I can take you to see the lanterns," I added with a smile.

She smiled softly in return.

When I squeezed her hands, she winced and pulled away.

"What's wrong?" I asked, terrified I'd hurt her in some way.

After hesitating, she showed me the pink marks on her hands, "I don't know how it happened...your blood just...it burned me pretty badly."

"Oh my God I'm so sorry!"

"It doesn't matter," she reassured me. After glancing around to make sure no one was near, she wrapped a few strands of hair around her hands and started to sing. Her hair glowed, but I was prepared for it. It was actually beautiful. When the glow faded and she unwrapped her hands, she was fine.

"We should get out of here," I said, realizing Gothel could appear at any moment.

I struggled to my feet and helped her up.

"I don't know if I can make it very far..." she said, rubbing her temple. "I'm drained."

"Then I'll carry you," I offered. But then it hit me how exhausted I was too. "Do you think you could make it to my tree? It's not far."

After a long trudging walk, we made it to the half-but-really-not-cause-there's-more-trees-than- before clearing where my tree grew.

"Is it this one?" she joked, pointing at the tall tree permanently covered in frost.

"How'd you guess?" I smirked.

Instead of climbing like I expected, she simply sat down right on the ground and curled up.

"Okay..the ground works too.." I muttered.

I wasn't about to leave her alone, so I lied down with her. After hesitating, I put my arms around her and pulled her so her back was against my chest.

"What are you doing?" she mumbled, already half asleep.

"I want to make sure you'll still be here when I wake up," I replied. All I could think was that tomorrow I'd wake up and she'd be gone, locked away back in the tower or stolen by Pitch.

She hummed a response, I couldn't tell what she actually said, but I'm assuming it was consent. After a moment, she shifted so her head was nestled against my chest.

Smiling, I wrapped my arms around her tighter. If I decided to ignore the fact I almost died, and that Rapunzel's bond with her mother had probably shattered beyond repair, then everything felt perfect.

Tomorrow, I promised. Tomorrow I'll show you everything about this town. And then as soon as you get bored, we'll go to Scotland. And Germany, and anywhere you want.

You won't miss the tower for a second.


	8. Chapter 8

**So...tiny climax is over. It's Wednesday. HUMPDAY! God why does that commercial exist? Even my band teacher is saying that-_-**

**Anyway this chapter is just kind of Jack and Punz doing random stuff in Burgess. BEFORE ANYONE ASKS: the reason people can see Rapunzel is a) I'm pretty sure almost everyone knows the story of Rapunzel (like the original fairy tale) and b) she wasn't chosen by the Moon, she's immortal cause she was saved by the Sun. I think that when you're chosen is when you have to be believed in to be seen. Idk that's just my headcanon. **

**Cristyceci: What do you mean by that..?**

**FrozenLanterns: Something else healed Jack actually, I'm sorry I know that I didn't make that clearD: but it's going to be explained later on. And also, Pitch and Gothel have other problems they need to deal with so Punz and Jack will be okay for a little bit. **

**blueacrylicpaint: I love that Reprise. If anyone hasn't heard the Reprise 1 of When Will My Life Begin then go. Go right now and listen to it. I love it and whoever decided to take it out of the movie was wrong. **

**Guest: :) There'll be even more badass Jack sometime later**

**Steefwaterbutter: I'm sorry...was it the chapter in general or the whole story so far any just anything in particular? The way I am is that I have everything figured out in my head so I sometimes forget I need to explain so-and-so or sometimes I just don't have a good way to explain it. Sorry again!**

**But yeah, IF ANYTHING IS CONFUSING OR DOESN'T MAKE SENSE PLEASE ASK BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE IT PLANNED TO EXPLAIN LATER OR I MIGHT JUST EXPLAIN IT FOR YOU IN THE NEXT AUTHOR NOTE. **

**Okay enough of my author note.**

Why's it so cold? I wondered.

Shivering, I grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it closer around me. Wait...this isn't a blanket...

My eyes snapped open and I saw that I was actually pulling on a sleeved arm!

I shrieked and threw the arm off me. Wait...I was in the forest? What's going on?

"Hey...what's wrong?" a slightly raspy voice asked.

I jumped and whirled around to see: Jack rubbing his eye in exhaustion. Oh...the arm was his...okay...the memories of last night returned and I (sort of) relaxed.

"I just...I didn't remember where I was," I rubbed my arms in an attempt to warm up. It was snowing, and here I was in my thin dress. I swear it was warmer the night before...

Jack noticed me shivering and pulled off his hoodie, "Here."

"I'm fine," I argued.

He rolled his eyes in disbelief and said, "Just take it."

Reluctantly, I pulled it over my head. Then came the task of pulling my hair through the head hole. Fun.

"Okay, first things first," Jack chuckled as he started to help me, "We need to get you a haircut."

"No!" I shrieked, yanking my hair away from him.

His eyes bugged out from surprise, "Why not? It's inconvenient and if Gothel chases after you then she can just ask if anyone's seen a girl with freakishly long hair."

"But if I cut it..." I pushed my hair to the side so he could see the one short strand of dark brown, "It loses it's power."

When I was younger, about a hundred years old, I had tried to cut off a strand of hair in hopes if I left it behind Mother wouldn't chase after me when I tried to run away.

Back then it seemed like that's all she loved about me. But when I saw what cutting my hair did, I realized that I really couldn't leave. Not ever.

Stop thinking about her, I told myself. It's the first day of your life, just...don't.

"Of course it does," Jack sighed.

"Maybe we can braid it back," I suggested.

"All right," he moved so my back was to him and started to finger comb my hair.

"Should I be concerned you know how to braid?" I joked as he divided my hair into sections.

"No," he replied, "I mean, you did teach me."

"I did?" I asked, trying to turn so I could look at him.

He put his hands on my shoulders and straightened them before saying, "Yeah, remember? You asked me to help you braid flowers in your hair and I didn't know how so you taught me."

"That didn't happen..." I was thoroughly confused. I knew he wasn't lying, but I couldn't remember ever asking him to braid flowers into my hair.

"Then how do I know how to braid?" he challenged.

"I don't know..." I bit my lip and tried to push my hair behind my ear before remembering it was already tied back.

(POV Change)

After I finished, Rapunzel's hair was twisted back into a thick braid that trailed only a few feet behind her. It had taken forever, but at least now it wasn't so long that people would trip on it or see it when she wasn't even in their view. Hopefully that'd down the risk of Gothel or Pitch finding her.

"So...to town?" she asked, turning around and giving me a hopeful look.

I hesitated, staying was risky. Although I knew Pitch never came out during the day, what about later tonight? I suppose there's nowhere safe from him anyway...but I'm not sure about Gothel. Who knows what she'd do if she found us?

Rapunzel wants to see the Lanterns, I know she does. So...we can stay until then and after the festival we'll leave to find somewhere safer. Besides, Pitch won't expect us to stay, so he'll probably be busy for a few days anyway! Yeah..

I'm not going to ruin her first day outside by trying to overprotect her and hide her in Canada or something.

"Follow me M'lady," I smirked, standing and reaching out my hand to help her up.

After pulling herself to her feet, she bounced on her feet in excitement, "Which way?"

I jerked my head to the left and swerved to lead the way.

(POV Change)

As we walked, I found myself wondering why I hadn't left my tower sooner.

Closing my eyes and breathing in the fresh air, I realized how much I missed the smell of snow.

No boundaries whatsoever, I felt like I could just take off running and not have anything hold me back. So that's what I did, I ran. I loved the feeling of having my braid jounce along behind me, and the slight ache in my legs and feet the longer I ran.

Jack laughed and ran ahead of me.

By the time we finally stopped, I was winded. But I didn't mind.

"There it is," Jack pointed at the town.

I stared at it, wide-eyed. So many people...so many buildings...

When I looked at Jack, I saw him smiling at me with his eyes half closed.

"What?" I couldn't help but smile back.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "C'mon."

(POV Change)

As Rapunzel skipped along the sidewalk, eyes darting in every direction, I floated above her so I could watch her expression. Everything she saw caused a new look of wonder. Just seeing her eyes lite up every few moments made a smile permanently find it's way onto my face. Although, I didn't like the way a few guys were looking at her. If they could see me I'd probably put my arm around her and give them a threatening glare, but they can't so...I didn't.

Speaking of me being invisible, I wanted to talk to her, but didn't want a bunch of people thinking she was a crazy eighteen year old who still had imaginary friends. So I jumped high up into the air to make the snow start again, enough that mostly everyone went inside.

Rapunzel didn't even shiver though, as we had gotten her new warm clothes. With her hair tied back and her new outfit, I think she blended in pretty well. Although, I still kept my eye out for any night mares or psychotic moms with knives.

"So, how do you like it so far?" I asked.

"It's incredible!" she spun around. "I'm so glad we left..."

I smiled.

"So, you said that the Festival of the Lanterns is soon, right?" she asked.

I nodded, "Two weeks. I wouldn't suppose you'd want to go, right?" I asked.

She have me a shy smile.

"Hmm if we can fit it into our busy schedules, then I think we could maybe go," I joked, although the more I thought about it, the more I thought it was a bad idea to stay in Burgess.

"Busy?"

"Yeah, I have to help your life begin," I told her. "We have three hundred years to make up for."

(POV Change)

"You really love this don't you?" Jack asked me as I was chasing birds through the park. They were bright red, I had never seen an actual cardinal before! I had only read about them!

"Of course!" I replied, grinning up at him.

He was standing by a statue, leaning against the platform that held it up. His smirk broadened into a smile as he watched me.

Finally, I leaned against the platform too, exhausted.

"I can't believe you didn't catch a bird for me," Jack said, jutting out his bottom lip in an exaggerated pout.

"It's impossible!"

"Wanna bet?" the look he gave me was the same one that had appeared before he slipped an ice cube down the back of my dress when I was baking cookies for him. (I got my revenge by tying him around a supporting beam with my hair and leaving him there all afternoon.)

I probably shouldn't have, but I agreed, "If you don't catch the bird you have to dance with me at the Festival." For whatever reason, even though he was invisible, Jack refused to sing or dance. Must be a boy thing.

"Okay and if I do catch one you have to go sledding with me," Jack said.

"What's sledding?" I asked. It sounded fun, but knowing Jack...

"Oh you'll see, after I catch that bird," he flashed another mischievous smile and jumped into the air.

My mouth hung open, so not fair!

A few moments later, Jack offered up the tiny red feathered creature and I stroked it's head with my finger.

Together, we tossed it back up into the air and watched it fly away. It joined it's friends and away they went.

"All right Blondie, now it's time for sledding!"

Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind him. Just holding hands with him made me shiver, but...maybe I liked being cold.

(POV Change)

"'Kay, you ready Blondie?" I asked.

Rapunzel shook her head, staring wide eyed at the hill. Her knuckles were white from clutching the side of the sled too tight.

"Don't be scared," I laughed.

"But what if I hit a tree?" she cried, looking up at me, panicked. I guess she did have a point, there were several trees scattered on the hill.

"Don't worry, I'll just use ice to make you go a different direction," I reassured her, holding up my staff as evidence.

She still looked scared, but less so.

"Okay ready?" I asked quietly.

She nodded and I used my staff to create a gust of wind to push her down the hill, "Go!"

I cracked up at her reaction. She was shrieking and laughing. Her braid was flying behind her, that's how fast she was going. (Yeah, I was using my powers to make her go unnaturally fast but she seemed to enjoy going fast so...)

Flying along side her, I used ice to make her spin in crazy ways, like I used to do with kids back when being invisible still bothered me.

When she had reached the bottom of the hill, her face was flushed with adrenaline and she couldn't stop laughing.

"So did you like that?" I asked.

She tried giving me her are-you-really-asking-me-that look, but her grin kind of ruined it. In a good way though.

It took four more times for her to finally be satisfied. The fourth time, I created a ramp for her to fly into the air, but I caught her before she hit the ground.

When I set her down, I immediately regretted letting her out of my arms. The way she was smiling, with her eyes sparkling with excitement, it gave me butterflies.

We were still super close to each other. She smelled like strawberries and lily blossoms...

My heart started to beat uncontrollably, so I floated up and rested on a tree branch.

"I wish I could fly," she murmured, looking up at me. "Then I could so show you up with all your tricks."

I hooked my knees on the branch and swung down so my upside down face was almost level with her right side up face, "Nah it's way cooler to have magic hair that glows when you sing."

She rolled her eyed and grinned, "I can so imagine you with glowing hair."

"Right?" I said, sarcastically. "I could have my own special song and everything."

"Icicle upside down, hanging from a tree, glow and sparkle and bring back what once belonged to me," she sang goofily.

"I am Jack Icicle!" I proclaimed.

Rapunzel laughed, "I think Frost suits you more."

"Couldn't agree more," I smirked, doing a backflip off the branch and landing next to her.

"What are we going to do next?" she asked.

"I think I know a place," I said, taking her hand to lead her in the right direction.

(POV Change)

Jack and I sat together on a comfy couch in the library, sharing a book. As I was a faster reader, I had to wait before turning the page so Jack could catch up. I didn't mind though, it was cute how his nose scrunched in concentration as he mouthed the words.

Finally, he noticed me watching, "What?" he asked.

I felt my face get hot, "Uh...nothing."

He quirked up an eyebrow and a smiled tugged at the corner of his lips. He knew exactly what I was thinking, he always did. But it hadn't ever really flustered me before now.

Jack's expression suddenly got serious and he bit his lip. This was the first time I'd seen him do that since when we first met.

"Rapunzel..." he whispered, his voice for once completely lacking it's jokey quality.

When I didn't reply, he leaned his head against mine.

"You look like a cyclops," I said stupidly. I mean, it was true! But...given the context...it was probably the wrong thing to say.

He laughed and I could feel his cold breath mix with mine. He smelled like peppermint.

I gulped, "Uh...I'm gonna go...get another book..."

He frowned, "But we didn't finish this one yet..."

"I know but...it's not my kind of story..." I forced a smile and stood up. Okay I lied, the story was about a girl who ended up being trapped in a castle with a beast, but the beast was actually her prince charming. It was exactly my kind of story.

But...I was terrified. What exactly was Jack...doing?

I hugged myself, I knew exactly what he was doing. Or what he was trying to. But it scared me, and made my stomach feel funny...like there were a bunch of butterflies tickling it from the inside. When I glanced back at him, I saw that he was silently chastising himself. A small pit formed in my chest and I started to regret getting up.

Why can't you act the way you feel? I asked myself. He probably thinks you hate him or something..

Okay, just focus on getting another book.

Up on one of the higher shelves, I noticed a pretty teal book with gold lettering: The Little Mermaid.

I strained to reach it, but I just couldn't!

"Need some help?"

Someone reached over me and took the book down for me. I thought it was Jack, but it wasn't.

Nope, no way was this Jack.

This man had well groomed dark hair and lovely brown eyes. He looked so...mature...

"Thanks," I smiled, feeling my face get warm.

"No problem," he grinned.

(POV Change)

When I had looked up, I saw Rapunzel talking to some...dude. I recognized him, he was Flynn, a college drop out who always hung out with those two cosplay nuts...Joey and Marcelline? No, Johnny and Mavis. Yeah that's it.

I stood and headed towards the door, trying to convince myself that I honestly didn't care. Because I didn't. Nope. Nopity nope nope. Thats why you got her to leave the tower. So she can meet new people.

Outside, a little girl was trying to build a snowman. She was just barely too short to get the top hat up on to the head.

"Need some help?" I laughed.

As she jumped, I used a gust of wind to give her the extra two inches of height she needed. She was surprised when she landed that she had finally accomplished her goal of building the snowman, but then she started jumping up and down in excitement.

"Thank you John Freeze!" she cried.

"Who the heck is John Freeze?" I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Is there some other winter spirit that helps kids build snowmen and start snowball fights? There better not...

After the little girl left, I covered the snowman in frost so it wouldn't melt away or topple over. It was pretty lopsided...

But considering it was made by what looked like a five year old, I say it's a pretty great snowman.

"Hey...what's that?"

I looked up and saw Rapunzel leaning against the doorway, looking at the snowy creation.

"It's a snowman," I smiled. "I just helped a little girl build it."

"Oh.." she looked slightly miffed for a second, but it must've been a trick of the light. "Could she see you?"

"Nah," I shook my head. Then I laughed, "Actually, she thought I was 'John Freeze'."

Rapunzel laughed, "Who the heck is John Freeze?"

I shook my head, "I have no idea."

She offered her hand and I took it, letting her pull me to my feet.

"What else can we do today?" she asked, looking up at me expectantly.

I considered this, "Well we could go ice skating I guess..."

Rapunzel shook her head almost immediately, her eyes wide with fear.

"What?" I asked. "What's wrong with ice skating?"

"I...no. No ice skating..." she said, not looking at me. I didn't understand why she was so panicked.

"Okay, okay," I said, trying to calm her. "We'll find something else, all right?"

She nodded and visibly relaxed.

"How about..." I thought. "How about we got to the café down the street?"

After I explained to her how to order, she bought a hot chocolate and we sat in a corner booth.

"This is so good!"

I smiled.

She offered me a sip, but I declined.

I'm not sure exactly when, but I ended up shifting my arm so our fingertips brushed together. She smiled shyly at me and put her hand in mine. If I could blush, I probably would've.

Why didn't I bring her out of the tower sooner?


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm just going to remind everyone this is my first fanfic. Just...keep that in mind as you read this chapter. But chances are it won't be my last, but who knows? We'll see after this story is finished. **

**The mobile site for fanfiction is stupid. WHY ISNT THERE A QUALITY APP?! If anyone knows of like a really good appwhat lets you read AND post then let me know. It'd make me happy. **

**So now that Jack and Punz have been happy for a day, time for Pitch to come back. *cues special effects guy for ominous music***

**Oh, speaking of ominous, classes have started up for me again. •_• so I don't know how often I'll post. (who knows it probably won't even change)**

**FrozenLanterns: Rest assured, the rings will be brought up. In this chapter actually. Not really, it'll be more hinted at. And I love Flynn, I'm not going to just ignore him and say he doesn't exist. Cause he's just...he's a quality character.**

**Happyhelper83: Aw:3 that made me smile. A lot. **

**Steefwaterbutter: Oh yeah I get that. So I think in the last author's note I said that something else healed Jack and that I'd explain that later. (If I didn't well...yeah. It'll be explained later) and I'm not planning onincluding why her hair didn't work in the story so I'm just going to explain it here. It tied back in with the Sun and Moon thing, I don't think that the sun's power can do anything to him (good or bad) him if he's a moon spirit thing. So...that's potentially problematic. **

**blueacrylicpaint: I refuse to deal with it. It's weird. And I've noticed that too. It irritates me cause there's a difference between naive and stupid. But yeah thanks:) **

**and if you find me: Thanks!**

Jack led me to a nice motel and talked me through buying a room.

Relieved I wouldn't have to sleep on the ground, I rushed into the room and jumped into the closest bed. It felt like a cloud, I could stay lying on it forever. Probably because I was absolutely exhausted.

Only, I wasn't as tired as I would've been, as I hadn't used my hair once that day.

There was a pang in my chest when I thought that. Even though Mother stabbed Jack and kept me up in that tower for my hair...she was still the only mother I've had, the only person I've talked to for three hundred years. You can't just stop loving someone like that.

"You okay?" Jack asked, looking up from his intense-stare-down at his own bed.

"Yeah, fine," I replied. My face must've been giving away my conflicted emotions. I was completely fine, though. Other than the fact my entire life has changed. No biggie.

"All right..." he returned to frowning at his bed, like it was some kind of rare creature and he wasn't sure if it would bite him.

"Something wrong with your bed?"

His frown deepened, "I've slept in a tree for three hundred years. I don't think I've ever slept in-" he kicked the bed twice "-one of these."

"Don't worry, it's comfortable," I smiled.

While he continued battling his inner turmoil about beds, I started unbraiding my hair.

A dream I had once had came to mind. I was sitting up in a very tall tree, watching the lanterns float away. In my lap sat a basket full of flowers and I was braiding them into my hair, which was brown for whatever reason.

It was a nice dream, one of the few dreams I would have after watching the lanterns from my window.

Jack finally sat on the bed and pulled off his hoodie. He set it and his staff on the floor beside him, then changed his mind and kept the staff right beside him, as if worried he'd need it at a moments notice.

"Night Blondie," he said, rolling onto his side and closing his eyes.

"Goodnight Albino," I replied, and when I looked at him I saw a smirk creep onto his face.

I then put my head to my pillow and fell fast asleep in moments.

(POV Change)

I glared at Rapunzel, that liar. Beds are NOT comfortable. She didn't notice of course, she was too busy being absolutely adorable.

Rapunzel sighed softly and turned over in her bed. I glanced over and smiled. A strand of hair had fallen across her perfect nose and the rest rested on her shoulders and waist before falling to the floor.

After a few moments, golden sand swirled through the window and danced over to Rapunzel before spiraling above her head.

"Right on time, Sandman," I said, glancing out the window and meeting his eyes.

He winked and soared away.

The light from the dream dust cast a soft glow on her, making her look like an angel. Woah...okay. Way to be mushy, Jack.

I shook my head, but couldn't force myself to look away.

Right as I began to drift off, a laughter like a dull knife on metal filled the room and a shadow passed over Rapunzel. Quickly, I grabbed my staff and jumped to my feet so I could protect her from Pitch. I knew it was him, it had to be.

As I suspected, the nightmare king morphed from one of the shadows under my bed.

I clenched my jaw and aimed the staff at his head, "Come any closer and you're dead," I warned.

"Aw how sweet of you to protect your girlfriend," Pitch smiled, showing off his fang-like teeth.

"She's...she's not my girlfriend..."

Pitch nodded with a mock-understanding expression.

"Get out of here!"

"But Jack, you don't know why I even came."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Why?" if he had wanted to hurt either of us, he would've waited for me to fall asleep. Or not, maybe he wanted tofight me, and fail and then I'd have to live with the fact I couldn't protect Rapunzel from Pitch like I had thought.

"Because I have a deal," he said.

"I don't want to hear it."

"Even if it's the only possible way little Punzie will stay safe?" he asked

I closed my eyes in frustration.

"Join me," he said, like it was that simple.

"Hell no," I tightened my grip on the staff. He could attack me at any moment.

"But...Jack...you haven't even considered it!"

"Why would you even want me?" I asked. "I'm nothing special."

"C'mon Jack," Pitch half-laughed. "What goes together better than cold and dark?"

Under my breath, I replied, "The Sun and Moon."

"Together, we can create a world where everything...EVERYTHING is-"

"Pitch Black?"

"And Jack Frost, too," Pitch said. "They'll believe in both of us. You and I will never be alone again."

Alone? Pitch isn't alone. He has...uh...oh...

No, don't feel sorry for him. He'a a monster and he's trying to trick you.

"No," I said. "They'll fear both of us. That's not what I want."

"You would've taken me up on this in a heartbeat. If you hadn't met Rapunzel."

He was right. Was it only a year ago? If he had promised that I wouldn't be alone, I would've gone. I would've taken the selfish way. But I met Rapunzel, and...

"No."

He scowled, "Then I'll kill both of you. Don't think I won't."

"Why does this matter?" I asked. "We aren't any threats to you! Just get out!"

"But-"

"GET OUT!"

Pitch glared, silver eyes flashing, "This isn't the end, Frost."

And he was gone.

"Jack?" a sleepy voice asked.

I turned and saw Rapunzel, trying to force her droopy eyes open.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah...everything's fine," I reassured her. "Just go back to bed."

She nodded and her soft snores returned almost instantly.

As I watched her, I thought about Pitch's deal. Was joining him worth Rapunzel's safety?

In her sleep, she rubbed her eye similar to a kitten before giving another soft sigh.

Yes. A thousand times yes.

(POV Change)

Mother placed her hands on my shoulders, "I'm sorry. Please come back...I need you..."

"Why? So you can use my hair?" I snapped.

Something inside Mother broke, and she put her hands to her face, "No, I don't care about your hair. I need my daughter back," she choked.

I bit my lip.

Suddenly she snapped back to herself, "Rapunzel...get out of here."

"But-"

She pushed me away, and when I landed, the whole tower was dark except for a dim light shining on Mother.

"One job, Gothel. ONE JOB."

"I kept her there for three centuries! I didn't exactly FAIL," Mother shot back.

"But Jack still helped her escape."

The voice gave me chills up and down my spine. It was the voice I imagined death having. Too calm...too dangerous.

"Well excuse me, I thought stabbing him would be enough," Mother said, glaring at nothing.

Did she have a spirit too? Like how I had Jack? Except if that was the case...why could I hear her spirit when nobody could hear Jack at all? And why did she look so scared?

"Just like how freezing him was enough," the voice replied.

"That was YOUR idea."

"Yes. You know what else was my idea? Cutting off the girls hair and making her eat those berries again."

"If we cut her hair I would've died," Mother said.

"Unless I granted you immortality," the voice replied.

"Which you wouldn't have. I know you, Pitch," she said. "You would sooner kill me yourself than give me immortality."

"That's true."

Mother's eyes widened slightly, as if she didn't expect the voice to agree with her.

"Oh Gothel, so scared of your mortality," the voice laughed.

A mirror appeared in front of Mother. The reflection was of her, but her hair was white and falling out. Her skin was wrinkled and ash gray and clung to her bones, which jutted out. Her eyes were hollow and dark.

"Pitch! Stop!" she screamed.

Slowly, the actual Mother, not the reflection, grew older and older as well.

I wanted to run forward, use my hair, make her young. I couldn't just let her die! But that's when I realized...I didn't have a body. I wasn't there.

Black horses with glowing yellow eyes surrounded the mirror.

"Pitch...why are you doing this?!"

"Because, you're out of chances."

Mother ran, and the horses chased after her. I watched she crumbled away into dust in horror.

A familiar silver ring had fallen, in her haste. The same one I had lost several years ago...It floated up into the air, to join a gold ring on a floating chain.

The last thing I saw before waking up was complete darkness...other than two blade silver eyes staring at me.


	10. Chapter 10

**So the reason the lsat chapter (and possibly this chapter) sucks is because I haven't really been editing this. Like for the most part? The entire story's done. But I just haven't felt like editing it and making the chapters as good as they could be. **

**So yeah sorry. The reason I'm not really working on it is because I started writing another fic (actually two, but it's mainly the one that's holding most of my attention) and its a Frozen fanfic cause I listened to Let it Go (the small bit she sang at D23, or wherever that was) and I also read the spoiler thing with the chapter book? and I've been adoring Elsa and her character design so...oops. Fanfic. **

**I can't post it though cause the only Frozen in the movie list is the one from 2010 so :p. **

**But I am gonna try to get back to this and actually put effort into the editing. **

**FrozenLanterns: I feel like I need to say spoiler alert so...spoiler alert. Neither one of them has their rings cause the rings work like baby teeth and yeah. That wasn't really supposed to make sense. **

**blueacrylicpaint: I'm pretty sure it was. Maybe not the original original like when you demanded like another huge chunk of story every day but it was in at least the second draft. And guess what? IT'S NOT HUMP DAY! **

**So now that this chapter has been posted...I shall now away to my tumblr so I can go through the Frozen tag. (If it's not apparent, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR FROZEN AND I DONT THINK I CAN WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER.)**

**Sorry. I'm a spaz. Author out. Peace.**

"Morning Sleeping Beauty," I smirked.

Rapunzel gave me a drowsy confused look before realizing where she was.

"Morning.."

"We're going to have some thunderstorms tonight," I said, looking back at the television. "They shouldn't start until about four though so we can still go do something."

She nodded, "Yeah...okay."

"That's wrong?" I asked. There was a cloud hanging over her, I could tell from her hunched shoulders and hanging head.

"I had a nightmare..." she hugged her knees. "It started off fine but..."

Pitch...

"Look, Rapunzel," I sat next to her on her bed and looked at her, very seriously. "It was only a bad dream. It can't hurt you." At least, it can't if you don't let it..

She nodded, but continued to stare at her hands.

"Hey, come on," I said, taking both her hands and helping her to her feet. "We're going to the park again."

Her expression brightened, "Really?"

I couldn't help but smile.

After we twisted her hair up into another braid, we headed off to the playground.

The park was almost completely empty, probably most of the kids were sledding instead or cooped up inside with their hot chocolate and moms telling them 'there's no way you're going outside when there's a storm!'

Which was good, because that way Rapunzel didn't have to pretend I wasn't there for the sake of her nice, normal not crazy girl image.

"Okay, so this is a swing," I said, leading her over to it. "Just sit on this."

She gave it a funny look, but then hopped into the seat. It was hilarious how her feet dangled inches above the ground.

"Okay, hold onto the chains...yeah like that...and I'm going to push, okay? Don't spaz out and let go," I gently pushed on her back. "And now kick your legs back and forth...OUCH!" she kicked ME. "No, in rhythm with the push. Stretch them out when you're moving away, tuck them under when you're coming back."

Once she got the hang of that, I pushed her one final time, "Keep doing that." I sat in the swing next to her. Opposite of her, I had to keep my legs extended all the way in front of me to keep them from dragging.

"So we're going to have a competition," I told her, doing my best to keep our swings in time with each other.

She gave me a quizzical look, "Competition? What KIND of competition?"

I still saw the slight sparkle in her eyes. Back in the tower, we'd have competitions all the time. Usually I chose, cause she'd always try to makeother involve chores like "who can polish and laundry and mop and shine up and sweep againand again the quickest?"

"See who can jump the furthest," I smirked.

"Woah wait," she protested. "How do you even jump from this?"

"Like this," I demonstrated. "You count down...5...4...3...2...then you let go and," I soared through the air, landing several feet away.

"But...I don't think..." she stuttered.

"5..." I counted down for her.

"Wait...Jack! I didn't agree to this!"

"4..."

"I can't do this!"

"3..."

"Jaaack!"

"2...1!"

She not-so-gracefully landed a few inches behind me, then stumbled and fell face first into the snowy ground.

"Wasn't too bad for a newbie," I laughed, kneeling down.

She scowled for an instant, then broke into a smile, "That WAS sort of fun. Other than the face full of snow."

I grabbed a handful of snow (clean, un-child-trodden snow) and took a big bite, "It's actually good."

"Maybe for a frost spirit," she pointed out.

"Try it," I offered it.

After a quick eye roll, she took a tentative bite. Her eyes widened, "Ow!"

"Oops," I shrugged sheepishly. I forgot to tell her not to bite it...I forget that normal people...or semi normal...have issues with their teeth being cold or whatever.

"Can we swing again? I bet I can beat you this time," she stood to get back on the swing.

She did beat me, but then I beat her, and it began a constant back and forth.

We could've done it all day, but then I heard thunder.

"What was that?!" Rapunzel shrieked, eyes darting all around as she tried to find the source of the grumble. I wondered how long it's been since she's actually been caught in a storm. If she ever even has.

"Thunder. We better go back to the hotel..."

As we ran, it started to sleet, hard. Rapunzel tried using her hands as an umbrella, but it clearly wasn't working. She was starting to look like a drowned cat with her miserable expression and her stumbling over every step. It didn't help that her soaked braid was falling apart.

I stopped and when she caught up, I put my arm around her and lifted her up. She caught on quickly and put her arms around my shoulders. As well as I could, I held up my staff and it created a protective shield of frost.

Since we weren't being attacked by tiny water/ice minions anymore, I slowed my pace down to a fast walk.

"Do you really think you should be slowing down?" Rapunzel asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry as more thunder blasted our eardrums.

"Don't worry, there's no lightning yet," I reassured her.

Of course, the universe seems to have a thing for proving me wrong. The minute after the words left my mouth, lightning crackled the sky, causing Rapunzel to shriek and pull me tighter.

"Fine," I relented, flying as fast as I could to the hotel. The minute we entered the room, she jumped into her bed and hid beneath the blankets. I hadn't realized she was so terrified...I probably should help her with that.

(POV Change)

"C'mon Blondie, come out," Jack said. "You've been under there for hours."

Another loud crack rang through the air from the lightning and thunder, "No!"

"I won't let the lightning hurt you, I promise."

I peeked out at him from under my blanket and saw his serious expression. He wasn't teasing me for once.

"C'mere," he said, reaching out a hand.

I let him pull me to my feet, and then over onto his bed. Which was closest to the window. The last thing I wanted was to be closer to that...natural disaster going outside my window but...then again. Jack promised he wouldn't let it hurt me. He hasnt broken a promise to me.

"First thunderstorm huh?" he asked, wrapping his blanket so it cocooned around both of us.

I nodded, burying my face into his shoulder as another loud crack rang through the air.

He stroked my hair gently, "You don't have to be scared of them you know."

"Absolutely nothing you can say will change my mind about them," I stated.

A smirk tugged at his lips, "Challenge accepted."

Oh goodness.

"Which are you more scared of?" he asked. "The thunder, or the lightning?"

"Thunder..." I cowered as another loud crack rang through.

Gently, he placed his hands over my ears, blocking out most sound. Except for his voice, which told me to watch the sky.

Bright bolts of electricity shot across the dark sky. It was actually...beautiful. I started to itch for paints, to capture it before the image slipped my mind.

I stared at it for who knows how long, until Jack finally uncovered my ears.

"And now, that thunder? What does it make you think of?" he asked.

"Mother slamming things when she would get angry..." I winced.

His eyes started to glow, but then he visibly pushed his anger away, "Well it's not her slamming things."

Yeah because she's gone...

My chest tightened.

"It's actually Manny and Sonny bowling," he smiled.

"Bowling?" I asked, confused.

Manny and Sonny were the names he had given the Moon and Sun. I thought they weren't exactly...I don't know...celestial enough for them, but hey. It's Jack.

He grabbed the plastic holder for the hotels various service hotlines and tapped it.

In the frost he had created, he drew two shapes.

The first was a circle, with three dots in a baby triangle inside of it. The next was...odd. It reminded me of when Jack brought a "How to Make Balloon Animals" and a pack of balloons to my tower. He tried to make a dog, but the first knot he made untwisted and put a dent in the hot dog balloon. That's the only thing I could compare his second shape to.

He pointed at the shape irritating me so much, "This is a bowling pin. There are ten, lined up into a triangle. They're made out of wood, and they're painted white with a red stripe right here," he drew a short horizontal line at the dip. "The goal is to knock all the pins down by throwing a ball at it," he pointed at the circle. "I'm not sure what it's made out of, but it's heavy. You can always tell when you get a strike-which is when you knock all the pins down-though, because it'll make a sound like-"

He was cut off by a loud clap of thunder.

"Hey look Manny got a strike!" he laughed.

A tiny chuckle escaped my mouth, even though I didn't want it to. He flashed me THAT smile, the one where he was right and he knew it and I knew it and worst of all he knew that I knew.

Another thunder.

"Manny is whooping Sonny's ass!" Jack exclaimed.

"Jack!" I swatted his arm. "If anything Sonny's completely creaming Manny."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "You think so huh?"

"I KNOW so," I replied.

He rolled his eyes and smirked, "Riiiiiight."

I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and looked back out the window, mesmerized by the lightning.

"See?" he whispered into my ear. I could feel his cool breath making my skin tingle. "I told you you don't have to be scared."

I turned my head, our noses almost touching.

The whole scene, us curled in a blanket together, with our faces this close and his hand resting near the small of my back...everything felt right. My heartbeat started to pick up the pace, and he could tell.

It was like in the library, only...I wasn't scared this time.

I gazed at him. The boy who has been visiting me in my tower for a year. The first person I met aside Gothel. The one who saved me from the tower. The one who just helped me lose my fear of thunderstorms. The immature, teasing, mischievous winter spirit known as Jack Frost by me. By only me.

A voice in my head that didn't sound entirely like my own began to talk, listing the insecurities I've had since we first met. What if he only cares about me because I'm all he has? No one else can see him, he HAS to like me. What if I only care about him because he's all I really have?

If you let this happen you're only setting yourself up for heartbreak..

Jack nuzzled his nose against mine as he drew closer. His breath mixed with mine we were so close. But I moved my face at the last moment so his kiss ended on my cheek instead.

"I'm kind of tired," I lied, keeping my voice soft. "So...I'm going to sleep."

Who knows what time it actually was? I knew it was too early for sleep but...

"You could stay in here with me..." he offered, looking at me with a scared-but-hopeful expression. Part of me wanted so badly to. But the other part, the part Gothel had twisted, forced me away from Jack and into my own bed.

I could practically hear her, "Why would he like you? Come on now really?"

Jack wanted to say something, or stop me. But I was already in my bed with the blanket pulled over my head.

That's where I stayed, trying to figure everything out. By myself. As always.

(POV Change)

Come back I miss you, I wanted to say.

Because I did. Rapunzel had been away from me for thirty seconds and I already couldn't stand her absence. Even though she was right there. Probably only six feet away.

She wasn't sleeping. There was no adorable snoring. She must be thinking.

God why did I try to kiss her? Didn't you learn your lesson at the library?

I flopped backwards and put my hands to my face in frustration. I am an idiot.

Obviously she doesn't feel the same way. Who'd choose an immature winter spirit over all the other potential guys out there?

Since I had hardly slept in the tree barely a day ago, I decided to try to sleep again. And I did, slipping into a dream in moments.

We were back in Rapunzel's tower. It was din, barely any light whatsoever. Not even like nighttime dark, like trapped in a closet dark. She was sitting up on one of supporting beams. She was brushing her long hair, a task I thought would be impossible.

I floated up to sit by her, but she didn't so much as blink.

"Rapunzel?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Rapunzel!" another voice yelled.

Rapunzel jumped as Pitch materialized from the shadows.

"Uh...hello...Pitch..."

"Get down here!"

Fear flashed in Rapunzel's eyes, for an instant before it was gone. She looped her hair around the beam and slid down.

"I need your hair, Flower," Pitch said, running one of his gray hands through her blonde locks, tucking it behind her ear.

Where his skin touched, the blonde turned black for an instant, before turning back.

"What for?" she asked.

"Don't question me! Just do as I say!"

Rapunzel took a step back, eyes wide.

He raised his fist.

Holding up her hands for protection, Rapunzel frantically began to sing, "Flower gleam and glow, let your powers shine, make the clock reverse bring back what once was mine..." Her hair started glowing, as it had when she healed me. "Heal what has been hurt, change the fate's design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine...what once was mine..."

As it glowed, Pitch reached out to touch it, making his eyes glow the same color, until it faded away.

Rapunzel put her hand to her forehead, stumbling backward slightly.

I gasped and jumped down, catching her before she could hit the floor. Her head rolled back against my shoulder, and I saw she was unconscious. Her body was cold, nearly the same temperature as mine.

"What are you doing to her?" I asked, horrified at how pale my Rapunzel was.

"I'm not doing anything," Pitch smiled.

"Don't lie to me!" I yelled, "You're obviously doing something!"

"Have you thought about my offer, Frost?"

Clutching Rapunzel tighter, I replied, "Of course I have."

"And?"

"I'll never join you," I spat. "And if you so much as TOUCH Rapunzel, I'll kill you."

Pitch gave me an are-you-daft look and poked Rapunzel. She cowered and grabbed at my hoodie.

"Get out!" I yelled. She was literally shaking with fear.

"I find it amusing that you think you can stop me," he replied. "Just because I can't break YOU doesn't mean I can't break her."

I froze, unable to think or move.

Finally I remembered how to not be a frozen corpse and shifted Rapunzel so I could aim my staff at Pitch, "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

Pitch shrugged, "See you soon, Frost."

Rapunzel looked up at me with her wide eyes.

"It's just a bad dream," I said. Not sure if I was reassuring her or myself.

It didn't work on either one of us.


	11. Chapter 11

**Holy rabies! Headcanon time! Rapunzel can make friends really quickly. Like she could just sit down and have a conversation with anyone. Literally anyone. If she tried I bet she could have a heart-to-heart with Pitch. Anyway that being said, I decided to add more characters from various movies to play minor roles. Yay!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hotel Transylvania, Toy Story, Wreck it Ralph, or Epic. I'm simply borrowing the characters (and some I'm reallyonly borrowing their names)**

**Hey does anyone know any crossover pairings for Flynn? Cause I feel bad that I don't really ship him with anyone. (like I never really even shipped him with Rapunzel even when Tangled first came out, he just seems like a protective older brother to me) (and ik there's Flynn and Merida and Flynn and Tooth or whatever but I mean other than those)**

**FrozenLanterns: I have that headcanon too. The more I think about it the more it makes sense to me. Funny story, in Feb (I think) when the fake posters were leaked? I saw Anna and Elsa and I made a post like "Uh...did Jack and Punz have babies?" and it may be possible I started that snowball...(probably not but I like to think I did)**

**Teshka: I know they are in fanart and the "The Boogyman is more than a Nightmare" poster but when I watch the movie they look silver more often than they look gold. So I say they're silver:) if you disagree that's totally fine**

**blueacrylicpaint: I swear to God I will harangue you to oblivion. If you don't watch it, I will lacerate you as well. (lol love you)**

**R and j: Here's an update:) haha**

**lunafrostywolf: Aw that's really nice of you:)**

The sun peeking through the window woke me from my sleep, thank goodness. Yet again, I had a nightmare.

I was back in the tower, only I was chained to the wall. My heart was racing as I watched Mother drag my hair over to the window. She had gagged me, so I couldn't shout out a warning.

"Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" a panicked voice yelled.

Mother's features twisted into an evil smile as she dropped my hair out the window.

I tried screaming, for him to not climb up and that I'd be okay, to just run.

But the gag kept my words from escaping.

Jack appeared at the window, relieved, "Rapunzel! C'mon let's get out of here..." He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. I could see him wondering why I was gagged and bound.

Before he even registered anything, Gothel had plunged her knife deep into Jack's side.

"Jack!" I tried to scream as he gasped and collapsed, crouching into the fetal position.

"Now look what you've done, Rapunzel," Gothel said, taking my chains and trying to drag me back.

I fought her though, trying to get free.

"Stop fighting me!"

My gag loosened and I forced it off, "No! I won't stop! I will fight for the rest of my life...unless you let me heal him."

After a little persuasion, and Jack himself being shackled, I was allowed.

"Jack!" I tried not to sob, looking at his wound.

"It's nothing," Jack lied. "It's...it's a scratch," he forced a smile.

His silvery blood was pouring out...fast.

"Jack...put away your tough guy ego for thirty seconds," I tried to smile.

A foggy look was shading his normally crystal eyes, "Don't do this Blondie..." he said. "I'm immortal, I'll be fine..."

"I can't let you die," I told him, placing my hair on his wound.

"You know it won't work," he coughed.

"I have to try!"

But it didn't, and he died.

I looked over at Jack, in real life, to make sure he was okay.

He was fine. Didn't look all that comfortable though...Both of his gangly legs hung of the bed at a nearly unnatural angle. One arm covered his eyes and the other was propped up against the headboard.

"Jack?" I giggled.

He hmmf-d and adjusted to another uncomfortable-looking position.

I smiled and wrote a quick note to him before placing it on my pillow.

After tying my hair into the best braid I could, I left the hotel. A cold breeze greeted me as I stepped out into the fresh air.

As I walked down the sidewalks, stones stuck into my bare feet. For a moment, I actually considered going to get shoes. But then I remembered how uncomfortable I was when I tried on shoes. I can deal with a few stones stuck in my feet, no problem.

"Sophie! Wait!"

I turned just as a small blonde girl ran by me, followed by a slightly taller brunet boy. The girl was giggling and chasing after a bunny, and the boy was clearly chasing her.

"Sophie!"

The little girl had fallen and was crying.

I rushed over, "Are you all right?"

The boy gave me a wary look.

I examined the girls skinned knees, "Don't worry, I can fix that for you..."

"I GODDA BOO BOO!" she wailed, as if I didn't understand the severity of her 'boo boo'.

After glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, I put the end of my braid on her knee.

"What are you doing?" the boy asked.

"Can you two keep a secret?" I asked.

The boy nodded. His sister was too busy crying to answer.

"Okay, well you can't tell anyone about this," I told him. Then I sang the flower song. Yes I know it was a big risk. I know that these children weren't any of my business and I shouldn't be using my power out in the open like this...

...but it broke my heart to see the little girl crying.

They both stared in wonder at my glowing hair, making me smile. When I was finished, they had both forgotten about her knee. It was completely healed, by the way.

"What are you?" the boy asked. "Are you like the Sand Man?"

Sand Man?

"Fairy!" the little girl giggled, "Fairy Princess!"

As I talked to them, I learned that the boy's name was Jamie, and that the girl's was-hm I wonder-Sophie.

Several times Sophie tried to get her own blonde hair to glow, but sadly it never worked.

Jamie, on the other hand, started talking about how I should team up with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and the Sand Man. I laughed and told him I'd make sure Jack introduced me to them.

"Who's Jack?" he asked, confused.

"Jack Frost?"

Jamie shook his head, no bells rung.

I frowned slightly, it bothered me that people could see me but not Jack, when Jack and I were similar in that we both had unexplainable magic.

"Rapunzel?"

The voice belonged to man from the library, who had helped me grab the too-high book. He and I had talked for a few minutes, and he had also given me a slip of paper with numbers on it. Although I had no idea what to do with it, I still had it.

"Hi Flynn," I said, looking up at him and smiling.

"Are they yours?" he asked, nodding at Jamie and Sophie.

I wasn't sure if he meant were they my children or my brother and sister, "Oh no, I was just talking to them."

He quirked a eyebrow up, "All right then. You're going to go on a walk with me, right?"

I smiled and turned back to the kids, "Can you two get home okay?"

Jamie nodded and grabbed Sophie's hand.

"Goodbye," I waved as they walked away.

Then I took Flynn's extended hand and let him pull me to my feet.

"Why are you out so early?" he asked.

"I missed an entire day of being outside, I have to make up for yesterday somehow."

He laughed, "Well do you mind going inside for a few minutes so I can treat you to a coffee? Perhaps a breakfast?"

I nodded, "That'd be lovely."

When I woke up, I noticed a distinct lack of Rapunzel in the room. Slowly, my foggy morning mind finally pieced it together: SHE WAS GONE!

Did Gothel find us?! Did Pitch take her? Is she okay?! Where did she go?! Shit I have to go find her!

The note I discovered on her bed did little to ease my mind, Gone out? Pitch could snatch her off the street if he wanted! Why didn't she wake me up?! God damnit! so help me if anything happens to her...

I yanked on my hoodie and flew out the door. I had to make sure she was okay.

After I had finished the pink iced cupcake that was my breakfast-dessert, Flynn got up and bought me another hazelnut latte. He was so sweet!

"Thank you," I smiled, accepting the warm mug from him.

"No problem," he grinned.

"Flynn!"

Two oddly dressed people had just spotted and approached us.

The girl had short black hair and bangs cut into a peak. And she was wearing a cape? With a black dress and red striped leggings and red shoes. When she smiled, I saw she had fangs! I resisted the urge to shriek. Mother never told me GIRLS could have fangs too!

The boy's ginger hair was spiked straight up and his skin was painted a light blue, with darker blue pretend stitch marks. His clothes were extremely baggy and patched. But the stitches on the patches were so poorly done, like he didn't even TRY to repair them...

"Hey," Flynn saluted them.

"Who's this?" the girl asked, leaning forward slightly with interest. I didn't like the way she was staring at my hair...

"Oh, this is Rapunzel," Flynn said.

She grabbed my braid and I yelped.

"Holy rabies!" she cried, "Your wig is incredible, it looks so real! Are you like a modern hipster Rapunzel or are you just doing a wig test?"

What was she talking about...?

"That's my real hair..." I squeaked, tugging it away from her.

"And Rapunzel's her real name," Flynn looked at me for confirmation.

I nodded.

"Oh that's a cool name," the boy said, "I'm Jonathan. And this is Mavis."

Mavis pushed her short hair behind her ear, "Sorry," she blushed but she still smiled, "I thought Flynn meant you were just cosplaying as Rapunzel."

Cosplay?

"See? I'm Marceline the Vampire Queen," she smiled, tugging away the turtleneck collar of her dress to show the obviously painted puncture wounds in her neck. Even though I could tell it was paint, it was extremely realistic looking.

Cosplay must be like...dressing up as someone else. That must be it.

"And I'm JohnnyStein."

"He's not very creative," Mavis nudged Jonathan playfully with her hip.

From the way they were looking at each other...I could tell they were in love. It reminded me of...Jack...okay stop it Rapunzel. Bad Rapunzel, bad!

Jonathan plopped down next to Flynn, "So, did you finish the final?" he asked.

The two of them started talking about...something. Definitely something. What that something was...I didn't know.

"They go to college together. Flynn claims the only reason he's trying college again is because 'SOMEONE has to look after Johnny'," Mavis explained, sitting down by me, "I'm still in high school. How about you?"

"Oh...I...I was homeschooled," I shrugged.

"Really?" she seemed thrilled by that, "I was too! Well at least up until this year."

"What changed?" I asked.

"Well Dad's always been super protective of me, but then Johnny came to the cosplay convention we'd have at the hotel every year. Somehow he convinced Dad to let me come spend my senior year here," she said.

"It wasn't easy," Jonathan added, "He was like 'Get out of this hotel and never return!' but I was like 'no way dude I'm staying!' and he threatened to suck my blood, but he was cool."

Mavis kicked him, "He did not say that!"

"Yeah he did!"

She smiled at him while shaking his head.

They were so in love, it was painfully obvious. Even I could tell, and I hardly know what love even is.

"So how about you?" she asked.

"Me?"

"Are you still being homeschooled?"

I shook my head, "I kind of left...when I turned eighteen. I came here with my friend. It was pretty recent so...we're still trying to find a permanent place to stay."

Jack had somehow known I'd be asked a lot of questions at some point, and he prepared me with a complete backstory of how I got here. Lying still made me feel bad though..

"Who's your friend?" she asked, "Do they live around here?"

"His name's Jack..." I tugged on a strand of hair, "You probably don't know him."

She thought about this, "Yeah, the only Jack I know is Flynn when he cosplays as Jack Sparrow."

"CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow," Flynn glared.

"Yeah yeah whatever."

Jonathan grinned at Mavis, "I'm gonna go get our drinks, Kay?"

"Thanks Johnny," Mavis smiled.

Flynn continued to glare at Mavis, but she ignored him.

"So...Jack. Is he cool?"

I giggled, "You could say that.."

"Do you like him?" she smirked, "And don't lie. You have that look in your eyes!"

My face burned, "I...uh..."

"You do!" she squealed, "Holy rabies! Can I meet him?"

"Mavis," Flynn laughed, "You've known her for like five minutes, now you want to meet her boyfriend?"

"He's not my-"

"So?" she demanded, both of them ignoring what I had tried to say, "I'm taking her under my wing."

"Your bat wing?"

"Exactly," she flashed her fangs at him.

I leaned against the doorframe of the café, not really paying attention to all the people walking through me.

Rapunzel was sitting with Flynn and Mavis and Johnny. She looked like she was having the time of her life. Mavis said something and Rapunzel's eyes bugged out. I saw her giggle nervously while Flynn laughed loudly.

Do I want to know what they're talking about? Mavis is probably saying how cute of a couple Flynn and Punz would make.

"No! We're just friends!" she cried.

"Uh huh," Mavis had a face like don't-even-try-to-shit-with-me-Rapunzel-I-know-you -like-Flynn.

"Whatever," I muttered to myself. She was in a tower for her entire life. Obviously she wants to meet new people. I couldn't care less.

"It sounds to me like you zinged," Mavis said to me. She had just exacted the story of how Jack and I met. Although I changed a few details...it pretty much was the same thing that actually happened.

"You only zing once," Jonathan informed me, "Yozo. It's like yolo, only way cooler." What I assumed was that a zing meant liking someone the moment you saw them. Could that really only happen once?

"Why are you trying to give me relationship advice?" I asked jokingly. Although...it was kind if bizarre how quickly they had assumed these older-sibling-y roles.

Mavis laughed.

Flynn grinned, "Is Jack the guy you were in such a hurry to go find at the library?"

At the library, Flynn and I talked until I had realized that Jack had left. So I kind of freaked a little and ran off to find him. I realize now how strange that probably was.

"Maybe.."

"You should go find him right now!" Mavis clapped her hands together in excitement, "And then-"

"So I'm guessing Punz and this Jack guy are your new OTP?" Flynn interrupted.

"Yes!"

Johnny laughed, "Time to go disable your tumblr."

I was so lost. It was funny though. Mavis seemed really friendly, they all did. I almost wanted to ask if I could be friends with them.

"Okay in all seriousness," Mavis raised her eyebrows at me, "You should tell him."

My stomach twisted into a knot.

"And I want to meet him," she added.

That might be a problem...

"Mavis," Johnny said, glancing at the clock, "The train takes off soon."

"Oh right! See you on Monday Flynn! And it was great to meet you Rapunzel!"

Johnny half-saluted-half-waved at me.

"Oh," she turned around right before leaving, "Next time I see you you better be dating Jack! Bye!"

Flynn smiled at me after they left, "Sorry about Mavis, she's kind of eccentric."

"It's fine," I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"To be fair, her dad is too. After all, he named his hotel Hotel Transylvania."

I blinked.

"He thinks it's a funny play on words, cause Transylvania sounds like Pennsylvania," he rolled his eyes.

What I read was that Transylvania was in Romania, and it's where Vlad Tepes, or Dracula lived. I wanted to go there actually, despite how gruesome the book described it as.

"So yeah, do you want to go outside?" he nodded back at the person behind the counter, "Andy's shift is almost over, and Sid doesn't like me at all."

I nodded and followed him out the door.

Oh look. There they are. Having their first date. Good for them. I am so freaking happy for them.

...Rapunzel looked really happy.

Not that I had a problem with her being happy its just...I hoped that she'd be happy with me. I guess not.

He said something to her, from his expression it seemed like he was asking her a question. Right after, she threw her arms around him...and he hugged her back with a laugh.

She never hugged me like that...

And that's when I finally understood the term 'heartbreak'.

"Thank you so much," I pulled away, "I would love to!"

He chuckled, "The train station's two blocks away from the library. They come back around 6 in the evening. Just meet us there and we'll head back to my place."

I grinned, I had just been invited to a party! Or not an actual party, but still like a gathering! With Jonathan and Mavis!

"And then you can meet MK," he added, "She's my brother's girlfriend, and Mavis's friend. You'll like her."

"Can't wait!" I beamed.

"So first party?" he asked, grinning.

"Yeah.." I couldn't force my smile away.

"Hey," he nudged me, "Bring Jack along and we can play spin the bottle."

I didn't understand his wink. Spinning a bottle doesn't sound fun, it sounds boring. What kind of a bottle would it even be?

He shook his head and smiled at me, "I'll catch you later Blondie," he saluted.

As soon as he was far enough away, I did a little happy dance. I was making friends! Maybe...maybe at the party I can get them all to believe in Jack! And then he can have friends too! And he won't have to be sad anymore!

Hm...I wonder where he is...


	12. Chapter 12

**Let it go let it go, can't hold it back anymore. Let it go let it go, turn away and slam the door. I don't care what they're going to say. Let the storm rage on, the cold never bothered me anyway. **

**Did I just wow you with my singing through text skills? Yeah, I did. **

**(but for realz I can't stop singing that song)**

**FrozenLanterns: I can kind of see Tooth and Flynn, it reminds me of Joey and Phoebe from FRIENDS in a way. But I ship SweetTooth because of reasons and I'm trying to sort my armada out so the ships don't contradict each other(it's not working). Thanks anyway though:)**

**Guest: Oh hai there. And yes, big misunderstanding. :) Thanks!**

**RowenaBaronErikandSnapelover: Holy rabies I like your penname thing! And yeah it will be Nod:) Toy Story was disclaimed because I mentioned Andy and Sid (just their names) and I wanted to be safe**

**blueacrylicpaint: I put that in there special for you. BUT WAIT there's more! If you find the next vocab word I will get you a chameleon. Or a sports bra. Whichever floats your boat. Nod and Flynn look similar, not super similar, but enough that they're siblings in my mind.**

**So fun fact. Leonardo DiCaprio was going to be tha voice actor for Jack Frost. I bet they were telling him the backstory of how Jack died and stuff and Leo was just like, "Nope! I'm tired of playing characters that freeze to death that happen to be named Jack!" **

**This is a really short crappy chapter because I've been trying to write an entirely different chapter all week and I realized just today it doesn't fit in here, so I just kind of wrote this. Yeah..**

**I really don't know what this even is don't judge me *hides behind pillow fortress***

Rapunzel was standing in front of the mirror doing something with her hair when I returned to the room.

"Hey," I nodded at her.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Have a good day?" I asked.

She bounced on her toes and turned around to face me, "I met some new people, I think you'd like them."

Too bad they can't see me.

"They actually invited me to a party. And I thought that maybe I could talk to them, and get them to believe in you," I didn't think it was possible, but her smile brightened.

"You'd do that?" I asked, surprised.

She nodded, "I'm not sure exactly how, but I can find a way."

"That's...really sweet," I couldn't help but smile.

"They might already be able to see you, because I mentioned you," she continued, "It's just...I don't know exactly how this works...so maybe not," she twisted a strand of her hair and chewed on her lip.

I don't really know how it works either.

"We can find a way to make it work though," she sat down next to me and took my hand in hers, "But anyway Mavis wants to meet you," her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Why does she want to meet me?" I asked, confused.

Rapunzel's blush grew redder, "I think she said you sound cool..."

I snorted and fell backwards so my head was resting on my pillow, "Fantastic pun. I'll just assume it wasn't intended."

We were still holding hands, so I tugged at her arm so she fell too. She landed on my chest. At this point, her entire face was beet red.

After she scrambled into a less-intimate position, she asked, "So do you want to go?"

"I guess, if you want me to," I half smiled.

"I do," she nodded.

I really wanted to ask what was going on with Flynn. But I knew that was a bad idea, because it would seem completely out of the blue.

"Are you okay?" she asked, tilting her head to the side with a concerned expression.

"Me?" I raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, fine. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, "You just seem kind of quiet...and I just wanted to make sure..."

Despite myself, I smiled, "I'm great, actually."

"Yeah?" she smiled in return.

"Yeah," I confirmed, sitting up and putting my arm around her. Thank God she didn't freeze up, instead she leaned against me like me putting my arm around her was totally normal.

I must've overreacted earlier, she didn't say that anything had happened with her and Flynn. She would've told me if something had, right? I decided not to worry. Right now, I was just content with sitting here. For once, there weren't a billion complications staring at me in the face.

(POV Change)

Jack seemed surprised when I didn't jump up and run away when he pulled me closer. I suppose I'd be surprised too if I were him. Normally I'd be too abashed to stay this close to him for so long, not counting the times I was so exhausted I couldn't over think it. But tonight I was perfectly calm.

"Are YOU okay?" he asked jokingly.

I nodded, smiling shyly.

He chuckled and squeezed my shoulder.

The longer we stayed like this, the more I thought about what Mavis and Jonathan and Flynn said today. What if they were right? A small idea overpowered my brain and started to write itself into actual actions in my limbs. No! Stop it! Why am I not over thinking this?

Scratch that, I am over thinking this. But not in a bad way.

I turned so we were facing each other. He gave me a slightly confused half smile. He had no idea what I was doing. But I had no idea what I was doing either. I just...was doing it.

We locked gaze, and I think it dawned on him what I was thinking.

When my brain finally regained control, I had already put my arms around his neck and leaned in.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi.. Sorry I haven't updated. Writers block and such. **

**FrozenLanterns: SweetTooth's just perfect. Tooth's like the adorable fun aunt and Bunny's like the grumpy uncle with a secret soft side. I wish it was canon instead of Rainbow Snowcone.**

**blueacrylicpaint: You're adorable. And in my defense, that Author's note was long cause I really didn't have much to write for that chapter so Meh:p**

**Guest: :D thanks!**

**crazyguy1313: Yay first kisses:) thank you you're really nice!**

**So in Jack's dream, I'm slightly referencing the Snow Queen, like the original Hans Christian Anderson story. So Jack's a combo of the Snow Queen and Kay and Rapunzel's Gerda.**

Am I having a heart attack? Holy shit I think I'm having a heart attack. My heart isn't supposed to go this fast... God dammit Rapunzel, look what you did I'm having a heart attack.

And I was really warm, but I wasn't uncomfortable the way I normally would be? Which should also probably unsettle me but I was completely calm. Other than the fact thAT RAPUNZEL WAS KISSING ME!

When I had finally gotten over my shock, she just pulled away. No...come back...

"I...uh...I'm sorry..." she stammered, grabbing a lock of hair and pulling on it nervously. Her eyes darted all over, looking everywhere but me.

Silently, I weighed my options. I could try to kiss her again; either she'd be okay with it or she'd freak out and pull away...I could ask if that meant anything, with the possibility she could lie or that it really didn't mean anything...or I could just pretend that didn't hap...ah screw it.

A small gasp escaped her lips but I caught it with mine as I pulled her almost closer to me than physics allows. Although she seemed momentarily stunned, after a moment she grabbed the collar of my hoodie to pull me in even closer.

Honestly? It's borderline creepy how many times I've thought about this moment, our first kiss, all in different scenarios and for different reasons.

But this just felt right. It wasn't because one of us was about to go fight Pitch, it wasn't because I was desperately trying to keep her from leaving me for Flynn, it wasn't because I was hurt beyond recovery and she was so overwhelmed with grief that she didn't know what else to do.

No, it just happened. Just because. Unless there's some kind of dramatic irony and she knows something I don't, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I gently reached up to touch her cheek, before our lips parted and she opened her dazzling eyes to lock on mine.

A blush crept onto her face, and her attempt at suppressing her smile failed. She started to laugh breathlessly and touch her forehead to mine, "What just happened?" she asked quietly.

"No idea," I whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

Only moments later, we were pressed against each other again, resuming the kiss we had broken off. Her arms tightened around my neck, and I held her closer. Our hearts were nearly in rhythm with each other.

Even after we had stopped kissing and were lying down in my bed facing each other, I could hear our hearts beating in time. She tried to keep her eyes open, she seemed to be examining my face like I was a brand new person, but eventually they drooped shut and she dozed off.

"I love you," I murmured, planting a kiss on her forehead, "I know that sounds stupid and rushed..." I sighed and tucked away another loose strand of hair that had fallen into her face, "But by the time I'll have the guts to say it when you're awake...maybe you'll love me too."

(POV Change)

I already love you, I thought, snuggling closer. But I wouldn't have "the guts" to say so even if I did think you were asleep.

Jack's breathing evened out and the hand that was gently stroking my hair stilled.

Maybe I can say it...

But my throat closed up and I couldn't. I was too scared.

What if when I wake up tomorrow I realize this didn't actually happen? It was only a dream? Or that Jack was just temporarily out of his mind and thought he had feelings for me?

After hesitating slightly, I put my palm flat against his chest. His heart was still yet to slow down back to its average pace. It may not be much, but it was just enough to assure me he did feel something.

I smiled and closed my eyes.

(POV Change)

In my dream, I was standing in the middle of an empty ice kingdom, a snowstorm raging all around the room. The snowflakes catching in my hair and eyelashes didn't melt, they instead seemed to just become part of me.

Although it didn't seem possible, I was paler than the snow, aside from my lips. They were tinged blue, so where my fingers.

I just stood there, stiff as a corpse.

Until she walked in. The iced floor melted away from where her bare feet stepped, and grass and flowers and dandelions sprung from the once dead ground.

There was a horrible pain, almost like a shard of glass, nearly blinding my eyes and pricking into my heart. The closer she stepped to me, the worse it pained me. In agony, I sent frozen monsters to attack her.

She gasped, and held up her arms to protect herself. There wasn't anything for her to be afraid of though, the warmth from her hands made the monsters melt away, leaving me completely unguarded.

I stared at her as she got closer. What was she doing? Get away from me!

Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed my eyelids. The snowflakes melted away, and it suddenly hit me just how beautiful she was. Why hadn't I seen it a few moments ago?

She carefully pressed her soft warm lips against my cracked frozen ones. My chest started to burn, it felt like my heart was melting away. But then it felt better, and I found comfort in her warmth.

When she pulled away, I realized that the storm had stopped. I flexed my fingers, getting used to having control over myself again rather than being frozen to the spot.

A bright smile graced her lips and I felt myself smile back as hugged me tightly.


	14. Chapter 14

**Looks like school/band IS gonna affect my updates. Oops. Sorry in advance...I guess...yeah...I'm so awkward right now I can't even...**

**Guest: Aw I'm glad you liked it! And thanks, I try:) haha**

**FrozenLanterns: Haha, it wasn't how I was originally going to have their first kiss happen but oops:) In the Commentary they say they were implying Rainbow Snowcone to be canon and I was just like nope nope nopity nope. If they make a sequel it should be ALL the SweetTooth. My life would be made:)**

**Blueacrylicpaint: My authors notes confuse ME. And I'll only get you a sports bra if you promise you'll paint a LLAMA FACE on it.**

**stacy656246: (: thanks**

**I guess this chapter has a possible TW? Because this is my recreation of the scene where Jack is trapped in Pitch's lair, but I don't know of it's really very bad or blah. And Rapunzel is just at the party. She's safe. Jack's just too stupid to go check before flipping shit.**

"Two lonely bats crashed in the night," Mavis murmured, almost inaudibly, "They felt a zing, love at first sight. They knew right then they would be husband and wife..."

Johnny squeezed her hand, "For a zing only happens once in your life," he finished the poem for her.

He had just told a story, about a lonely count and countess that met by chance one night. They say that no two souls have ever been more right for one another. But one night, a fire started mysteriously and killed everyone inside their home. "When I was there, I could still feel their powerful love...like a soul was still trapped inside," he had concluded.

That tugged at my heart strings just thinking about it. Mavis leaned her head against Johnny's shoulder with a small sigh.

Nod, Flynn's younger brother (he had green eyes rather than brown, and his hair was much more shaggy, but they had the same perpetually raised eyebrow) had decided to put on a movie, and by the time the end credits rolled across the screen...we were all in partial trance.

To break the silence, Flynn decided to tell a long story about an idealized version of himself, which he dubbed, "Flynnigan Ryder". (Nod had scoffed and rolled his eyes) The way he described 'Flynnigan' was "A swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, not bad with the ladies either. Not that he'd ever brag about it."

When his tale was greeted with eyerolls, he challenged Mavis to tell a better story.

Her story was about a vampire, who was locked away inside to be kept safe from humans. It was monsters who should be scared of humans, is what the vampires father told her. "They will hide under your bed, and bite your toes, and steal your candy!" she declared in a mock Romanian accent.

Eventually, it turned into a random storytelling time. But after a while, they became serious and slightly melancholy...example A being Johnny's 'Lady LuBov' story.

MK reached up and tightened the rubber band securing her auburn hair, "Hey Rapunzel," she glanced at me, "It's your turn."

They all turned to look at me expectantly. I took a deep breath and just started talking.

"Long ago, when the Earth had just been created, Tsar Lunar assigned a boy to live on the moon, and a girl to live on the sun. Their purpose was to protect the earth and keep darkness from invading. That was their only purpose, and they couldn't be distracted.

"Until, one day, the girl on the sun met eyes with dazzling blue eyes of the boy on the moon. Although she didn't know that's what the feeling was called, she fell in love with him...even though they had never spoken.

"The Tsar was angry, and said love was for humans...not for the stars. But that didn't stop the sun from waiting on the horizon to watch the moon rise. Unfortunately, the General of Nightmares noticed the feelings they tried hide.

"He made a swarm of fearlings block out the moon, knowing the girl on the sun would leave her post to make sure the boy she loved was okay. The boy on the moon thought that the sun had gone out, so he left his post as well.

"When they crashed into each other, they realized it was some kind of trick. But before they could turn around and go back, the fearlings flooded the earth. Unfortunately, they were dragged down as well, becoming mortal during their fall.

"The Nightmare General knew he couldn't let them find each other and fall in love again, for if they did, they could return to the stars and chase the darkness away once again. That's how he's been spending the last million years, trying and trying to keep them apart," I didn't know how to end it, so I said nothing more.

"Wow.." was all MK could say.

"I think she wins," Flynn laughed softly.

I blushed and looked away. When I glanced out the window, I saw something that made my heart stop. No...it couldn't be...

(POV Change)

The storm raged all around me, but I didn't care. I ignored the wind cutting through to my bones, I ignored the shards of ice all but slicing my skin, I ignored the snow making my bare feet numb. I had to keep going.

Suddenly, I was warm. I had just ran through the portal, something I hadn't thought I'd do ever again. Rapunzel's meadow was always warm, why had I expected otherwise? But it didn't comfort me the way it would when I used to visit, now it filled be with a sick dread.

"Rapunzel!" I yelled, "Rapunzel! Let down your hair!"

She didn't even peer out the window to glare at me for being a complete idiot. I can fly...duh...

The tower seemed to be blanketed in dust. The paintings underneath the film were dull, like the artist has long since died. My heart shot up to my throat as I saw the only brightness in the room: a red smear across the old painting of me.

"Rapunzel?" I called again, not expecting anything. But disappointed just the same. "Where is she?" I demanded, knowing Pitch was listening, "Tell me now!" I gripped my staff, the blue glow began to crackle with white lightning.

"Jack?"

"Rapunzel!" her terrified voice was coming from her room...I bolted up the stairs and tossed aside the purple curtains.

Nothing but shadows.

As I stepped into the room, hoping somehow the walls would speak to me and tell me what was happening, I felt the floor give out beneath me and I fell through into an even darker room. It was Pitch's lair.

"How nice of you to drop by," an amused voice chuckled.

"Shut up," I muttered, "Where is she?"

"Does it matter?" he asked, looking down at me expectantly. I felt so small...I hated it. The more my stomach twisted in fear, the more he loomed above me, "Well...I suppose it matters to YOU. You're so afraid of losing her and all. The only person who has or ever will believe in you."

What was he trying to do? State the obvious? His words weren't bothering me.

...much.

The bridge we were on started to tilt slightly as I continued to follow him. Being off kilter set my nerves on edge, but I was fine. It's only Pitch...just do whatever he asks in exchange for Rapunzel's safety.

"Even if you find her in time it won't make much of a difference," he said. A noise in the back of my head made me jump. I swear I had heard a scream, but Pitch was unfazed. It was my imagination? "Maybe you can keep her safe from me, but what about from you?"

"From me?" I took a step back, nearly stumbling, but I caught myself.

"Yes you. Jack Frost. Old Man Winter. The Keeper of the Cold," he listed my title in several different countries...countries that feared the winter and the deathly cold that comes with it.

"I'm not going to hurt her!" I protested, "I would never hurt her!" but in my mind, I saw her wince and recoil from me when I was too cold, and her staring at me with bright red cheeks and frozen blue lips. The worst image that came to mind was once she was having a horrible nightmare, and I tried to comfort her...and she shoved me away and muttering something about being too cold behind her chattering teeth.

"Did you know that sleeping in a cold room makes the chances of having a nightmare all the more greater?"

I shook my head and furrowed my eyebrows, "Shut up! Just...just tell me where she is!"

The silence was deafening. It reminded me of a century ago...when I had out at sea admiring the ship of dreams...the silence after there was no one left to scream or desperately blow their emergency whistles for the lifeboats to return...

"That was an accident!" I cried, trying to defend myself against...no one...no one was accusing me but myself...

Pitch smirked, "And exactly how many accidents have you caused?"

"Stop it!" I said in a tight whisper, "I've changed...I have control over myself now..."

"Clearly," he said sarcastically.

Shadows that were dancing along the walls twisted and reformed the scene around me, until it looked like I was standing in the center of a highway in the middle of a blizzard.

A car horn made me scream and jump, so I wouldn't be hit by the cars that weren't there. I fell through another wall of shadows, and cried out as I landed. When I had stopped hyperventilating, I scrambled to grab my staff and get back to my feet.

He 'tsk'd and shook his head, "Starting a blizzard in hopes a car would crash into you. Not even caring that a car crash would kill everyone OTHER than you. What would Rapunzel say?"

"I wasn't thinking straight that day..."

STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!

"It's pathetic really. How she can shine on her own but you have to feed off her light for anyone to even know your name," as I backed away from him. I felt the moist wall against my back and I stared at him in fear as he kept coming closer.

His eyes glowed. Bright golden, but not in a beautiful way, like Rapunzel's hair. A terrifying way, like the golden hilt of a sword swinging down to finish you off.

"This is why you should join me," he smiled, "Just imagine it. I said it before, I'll say it now. What goes together better than cold and dark?"

I couldn't speak.

"Your eyes glow, just like mine," he said, "It means something. You know it too. We weren't meant to be invisible. We aren't the LACK of something. We can be so much more."

Once I had been listening in on a teacher teaching a group of students. I remember what she told them, that cold was just the lack of warmth...and darkness was the absence of light.

Rapunzel's radiant green eyes flashed through my mind. Stars were more beautiful if I looked at their reflection in her eyes, and they always made my chest feel fuzzy. I had warmth...in my heart at least.

Pitch was wrong. I'm not evil...I'm just me.

I swung my staff up and a wave of ice hit the bottom of his chin. With a yelp, he fell backwards and I put my foot on his chest so he couldn't stand.

"Where is she?" I yelled, aiming the staff at his head, "Tell me or I'll freeze you!"

"She's right behind that door," he nodded backwards. I ran over to the heavy iron gate that seemed to appear from nothing and tried to force it open, but it wouldn't budge.

"Rapunzel! Are you in there?!" I yelled, "Rapunzel! Answer me!"

I whirled around to shoot another beam of ice at him, but he was one step ahead. He flipped the staff out of my hand so it twirled in midair...and the beam redirected...hitting me square in the chest.

The staff clattered to the floor, and I followed moments after. I clutched at the collar of my hoodie, gasping as I tried to stop whatever was happening to me. My heartbeat was slowing down even more...and each beat send a wave of ice through my veins. But I had no idea how to unfreeze things...especially not my heart...


	15. Chapter 15

**FrozenLanterns: They're getting their memories back soon, don't worry. And yeah, poor Jack indeed. **

**bluemangosmoothie: Haha thanks:) btw blueacrylicpaiby says she likes your pen name**

**blueacrylicpaint: Do I HAVE to?**

**FloraBlue: Aw thanks, I'm glad:)**

**I just could not get this chapter to come out right. This is like my fourteenth draft. Maybe. I didn't keep track. Either way I kinda just said screw it so that's why it sucks. That's really all I have to say. **

"Hello? Jack? Are you in here?" I whispered, creaking the door open and looking around the dark room. When there wasn't a response, I flicked on the light hoping that he was asleep or something.

He wasn't.

Outside Flynn's window, for a moment I had sworn I saw Pitch with Jack slung over his shoulder. But when I blinked, there was nothing. So I had convinced myself that I was imagining things.

A snowstorm was raging outside, which at first only made my worry increase. But then I thought, if there's a snowstorm...that means Jack isn't too far away! Maybe he's just out there so he has something to do while I'm gone and he lost track of time!

Yeah!

No...

There was his staff. Carelessly left on the ground. I picked it up and weighed it in my hands, half expecting it to glow in response to my touch.

I have to find Jack...he's powerless without it...he could be hurt...

Grabbing my frying pan, I marched out the door, determined to save him. No matter what.

(POV Change)

Pitch had locked me up in an ice palace on a mountainside. At first I thought it was dumb of him, because who's ignorant enough to lock a winter spirit up in his own element? But it turns out that I could be in the Antarctic or the Bahamas and at either place I still can't use my powers if I don't have my staff.

I sighed and leaned my head back against the icy wall. If I was going to be locked inside can't I least go explore? The palace was stunning, I wanted to see more of it.

But no, I'm too busy being chained to the wall.

The pain in my chest had subsided, but that was probably because I had gone almost completely numb. I wondered what was going to happen to me. Having a frozen heart probably leads to more problems than just temporary chest pain and shivers.

In frustration, I kicked one of the ice cubes and watched it skid across the room. Pitch had last left me with these blocks with letters carved in the side, and the promise that if I made them spell a word then I'd be set free. and N. They spell jack shit, that bastard.

If Rapunzel were here, she'd probably have a word figured out in moments. But she wasn't here. I still had no idea if she was still locked behind that door in his lair or if he had relocated her somewhere even worse.

"Pitch!" I yelled.

He strode in, disinterested when he saw I hadn't found a word yet, "What do you want?"

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"Why do expect me to know?" he asked.

I glared and got as close to him as I could without the chains tugging back, "Tell me. Now!"

"You're really not very threatening without your stick," he rolled his eyes, "She's on her way here right now. No need to twist your panties in a bunch."

"...why's she coming here?" I asked. Stumbling backwards, I tried not to panic. But knowing Pitch he'd...he'd torture her and make me watch! And I'd spend the rest of my life wishing I could've done something...

"To rescue you of course," he chuckled, "Speaking of which, the damsel in distress in fairy tales always looks impeccable. You need to clean up."

I caught my reflection in the ice and widened my eyes in shock. A giant bruise/scrape on my temple made half of my face look gray from the dried blood, and my lip was split. Nearly my entire torso was covered in short dashes of blue spiraling out from the center if my chest; they reminded me of frost...that must be part of the frozen heart thing... There was no way it'd heal even if Rapunzel's hair worked on me.

Rapunzel was going to hate herself...

Pitch waved his hand and a trickle of nightmare sand swirled up my arms to my face.

As the sand passed over my skin, the bruises and scratches closed up until all that was left was faint gray scars. The blue skin didn't go away, but it wasn't very noticeable anymore.

(POV Change)

When I saw Jack, I dropped my frying pan and the staff and ran over to him, "You're okay!" I cried, dropping to my knees and throwing my arms around him.

"Yeah...fine..." he said quietly.

I pulled away and looked at him. His eyes were glowing...but he looked so defeated. Normally they only glow when he's angry. Wincing, he squeezed shut his eyes and curled up so his knees were digging into his chest.

"What's wrong?" I asked, reaching to touch his shoulder. Was there a wound I hadn't noticed?

He jerked away from my touch and moved away from me. I didn't understand...why was he acting like this?

"What did Pitch do to you?" I asked, noticing the blue marks nearly covering his bare chest. The darker spots, near his chest, actually had flakes of ice...like he was freezing.

He cried out and pushed my hand away, "Go away!" he yelled, "Just leave me alone!"

(POV Change)

Rapunzel's warmth normally made me feel like I was the Moon shining in the Sun's gentle light. Now I felt like a snowman melting in her harsh rays. Part of me wanted her to stay, and help me figure this all out. But the part of me that seemed to have caught on fire wanted her to get as far away as possible.

It's not like her staying would help...Pitch isn't going to let us both out alive. If one of us is going to die, it sure as hell isn't going to be her.

Speak of the devil.

"Welcome," he sneered, "Do you like Jack's new home?"

Rapunzel stared up at him in fear, "It's lovely..."

I couldn't watch. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall, praying that I wouldn't hear any screams.

(POV Change)

Pitch was ranting about something, and I forgot to listen. My mind was wandering, particularly to the ice blocks carved with letters that were spread out across the room.

Why those letters? I wondered. Do they spell something?

Okay... E... Y... Y... Y... ETERNITY!

I must've spoken aloud because Pitch whirled around and demanded, "What?!"

"Sorry...I was...I couldn't figure out why they had those letters...sorry..." I felt like a mouse. And Pitch was a jaguar, about to eat me. Yay.

Pitch wasn't glaring at me though, he was glaring at Jack. Right as I turned, I saw the shackles binding him to the walk break and clatter to the floor. He rubbed his wrists and stared in amazement.

Quickly, I ran to grab his staff and I tossed it to him. When it was back in his possession, it started to glow blindingly bright as he glared at Pitch.

The fight was dramatic, with Pitch attacking Jack with nightmares and Jack fighting back with his ice.

Everything seemed to point towards Jack winning, until the floor seemed to give way beneath us. As we fell into the chasm, Jack lost his balance and fell over, his staff skidding out of reach.

I gasped as Pitch formed a giant scythe with his nightmare sand.

"Jack! Look out!"

(POV Change)

Even though I knew it'd make little to no difference, I held up my hands to try and protect myself from the huge blade about to swing down and probably stab through my already almost completely frozen heart.

My panic started to fade though, as I waited for Pitch to stop laughing. It all just seemed pointless.

I was so tired...why was I even fighting? My hands fell down and I didn't even wince as he swung it down.

"Jack!" I heard a voice scream.

Instead of responding, I let my eyes droop closed. I was doomed anyway, why was I trying to delay the inevitable?

(POV Change)

My hair looped around Pitch's wrist and yanked it back enough so the scythe landed millimeters away from Jack.

Jack was still, not responding to my cries. The icy blueness was starting to cover him almost completely, and I wanted to burst into tears. Why was he freezing over?! Was he not immortal? He only had an extended life?!

"You little brat," Pitch dragged me over to him by my hair. Before I could even react or protest, or scream, he had shoved me through a shadow.

When I looked up to see where I had ended up...I saw the walls of my ex prison. I was back in the tower.


	16. Chapter 16

***angry sounds* so in the last chapter? When there'd be a random Y or whatever whenst talking about the ice cubes? IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE LETTERS OF ETERNITY ALL RANDOM BUT NO FANFICTON DECIDED THAT I WASN'T ALLOWED TO DO THAT. **

**Okay, I'm fine, I'm cool, I'm fine. *soothes down angry fire hair***

**FrozenLanterns: Hah yeah...I keep having writers block, but then it decided to go away at 1 in the morning Sunday evening. So I kinda just posted it without editing. Oops hehe, hope this chapter makes sense! (The rings are making a comeback huzzah!)**

**InvisibleGeek: Ah! I like your penname:)**

**CandySlice: Your review made me smile:D that was fantastic thank you!**

**Guest: It's funny you say that because I'm actually half working on an original story now:) not sure if that counts as a book though haha**

**Abby2021: Thank you!**

**I guess reader caution when I talk about Punz's human life, mainly just one very small part but I'm going to do a trigger warning just in case. (THE VERY LAST PART OF HER MEMORIES? SHE'S BEING CONTROLLED PARTIALLY BY PITCH BECAUSE HE WANTS HER GONE SO JUST YEAH)**

**Awkward author is awkward. Bye**

I'm so cold.

Pitch left me alone down here. Not that it mattered.

Where'd Rapunzel go? She was there in an instant...gone in a flash. Like a snowflake that fell into an open fire. Whoosh. Gone.

That metaphor's backwards Jack.

Remember? You're the pathetic insignificant snowflake and Rapunzel's the blazing corona.

C'mon it's not like you have anything else to waste time on, the least you could do is TRY to be more brilliant.

The bright blue-white of the ice castle was hurting my eyes, so I shut them.

I'm so cold.

(POV Change)

I paced around my tower trying not to hyperventilate. I'm not scared. Pitch isn't allowed to have that satisfaction. I'm perfectly calm.

When I went to examine the silvery block on my window, preventing me from leaving, I tried to pound on it with my fists hoping it'd break. But my baby fists did absolutely nothing.

My throat closed up and I fell to the floor trying to stifle my sobs.

What did he do to Jack?! What if he's dying?! What if I can save him and he's dying because I'm not competent enough to go save him?!

All Pitch had told me was that if I gave up my powers...cut my hair...then I could go free. But...it has to be a trap...it's too easy...he must know exactly what happens when I cut my hair. It must be horrible! That's the only explanation!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something that made me scream and jump to my feet, straight into a defensive position...but...Mother wasn't there...it was my imagination..

But then I noticed, where I swear she had been only moments ago, there was something small and silver. Hesitantly, I went to look at it.

A ring?

I had lost this years ago...how did it just...?

Carefully, I slipped it on my finger and examined it.

The tower faded away, and what I was seeing something completely different and new...and yet all too familiar.

It was like watching a movie, I saw myself with waist length brown hair sitting inside a log cabin, hunched over a book. A snowball hit the window, and I jumped. Outside, a familiar boy grinned and waved for me to go outside. It was Jackson. His brown hair was tousled from the wind...as usual...and his bright amber eyes were sparkling from excitement.

With a shy smile, I declined, and he frowned. He returned to his snowball fight moments later though.

The scene shifted, and I saw myself walking angrily away from Jackson, who had just stolen my drawing book and flaunted around the ONE SMALL SKETCH I HAD DRAWN OF HIM A YEAR AGO. He grabbed my hand to keep me from running into the woods and apologized profusely, admitting that he sometimes didn't know when to quit but he really didn't mean to embarrass me. Softly, he admitted that the reason of all his teasing was because he wanted me to talk to him. I blushed and mumbled something about that being a lame excuse, but I also stopped trying to yank my arm away.

Another scene shift: Jack had just walked me home. He kissed the back of my hand and smiled without a hint of mockery, "Goodnight Rapunzel."

"Goodnight Jackson," I replied, feeling a smile tug on my own lips.

As soon as he had returned to his own cabin, I heard his little sister ask, "Is that your girlfriend?"

"I knew it!" she cried a few weeks later.

Jack and I jumped, pulling away from each other in surprise. The pink flower crown I had woven and placed on his head was the exact shade of my blushing cheeks. I tried to hide behind a veil of hair, but Jack smiled and pushed my hair back before pulling me into another first kiss.

Up in a tree, I was painting the way the blazing sunset lit the autumn leaves on fire, while he played with my hair. In the same tree, but during the winter this time, I was telling him a story in excitement while he smiled genuinely and added comments here and there.

So much of our time must've been spent in that tree, the next scene we were watching two cardinals build a nest among the branches beneath our usual spot.

But we changed it up. Standing BENEATH the tree in the moonlight, I saw myself in a simple white gown trying to keep my teeth from chattering. He slipped a silver ring onto my finger and lifted the veil from my face. We kissed once again as his sister declared us husband and wife.

And then it was daytime, and I was walking along the path. As I passed beneath the tree, I called up, "Jackson Overland! I swear if you jump out at me-"

"Well there go all of my plans," a voice from behind me interrupted.

I shrieked and whirled around to see him hanging upside down with his knees hooked around a low hanging branch. As I hit him lightly, cursing him and trying not to smile, he only laughed at me. His mischievous smirk was even more lop-sided now that he was upside down.

"Damn you!" I started to laugh myself.

He grabbed the branch to unhook himself and swing down, "Hello Flower," he brushed my hair back from my face gently.

"I hate you," I muttered, resting my forehead on his chest. His arms pulled me in closer, and I instantly felt sheltered from the harsh cold.

"Is that anything to say to your husband?" he asked in mock-dissapointment, "We should get our marriage off on the right foot, we're stuck with each other until death do us part," he reminded me, swaying softly so my weight shifted left and right with him.

"Don't remind me," I giggled.

He lifted my chin so I had to meet his amber eyes, "You can't fool me. Just tell me that you love me and I'll kiss you. Deal?"

Despite myself, I smiled, "I sometimes sort of like you way more than friendship." When he started to pout, I used my hands to pull his face down closer to mine, "I love you," I said.

"I love you too," he closed the gap between our lips everything seemed to melt away into the background.

After he pulled away, my stomach dropped and started to twist up from an anxiety I couldn't pinpoint.

"Look what Emma and I found," he revealed a golden lily and held it out for me to see. It seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

"That's beautiful," I gasped, reaching to touch a petal gently. He tucked it behind one of my ears, before murmuring, "Perfect."

I blushed slightly as his eyes flicked from the flower to my eyes to my mouth and all over my face, like he was seeing a brand new person. I wasn't sure what to think of it.

But then he pulled me into another hug, a tighter one this time. I buried my face in his chest and clutched at his shirt, like if I let go I'd never see him again.

"Jack!"

We both knew it was Emma, so neither of us moved. Jack simply asked, "Yeah?"

"Mom said we have to be home by sunset, can we go now?" Jack had promised to teach her how to ice skate, she's been jumping with excitement and anticipation for nearly a week.

Jack sighed, not like he was annoyed with his sister, like he was sad that he couldn't keep hugging me all day, "Give me two more minutes."

"You can hug Rapunzel all you want after you sneak over to her house later tonight," she groaned. Jack stiffened and mumbled something along the lines of, "Don't you dare tell Mom..."

I laughed, for an eight year old she was already pretty snarky and could make even Jack stumble for a response. It was adorable. Especially since she thinks we hug when he sneaks over.

"Hey, I'll see you tonight," I pulled away and looked up at him with a small smile. Please don't go... I wanted to say. But I didn't. He had promised Emma he'd do this, after all.

"Of course," he smiled and touched my cheek softly before Emma dragged him away. He kept his eyes locked on me for as long as he could, like this was his final chance to take note of what I looked like. I waved and pushed away the dread filling my chest.

When I heard Emma's scream not even an hour later, I dropped everything and ran towards the lake chanting "please be okay" under my breath. But it didn't surprise me the way it should've when I saw the hole in the ice and Emma hunched over and screaming with sobs.

I pulled her away from the breaking ice and hugged her, murmuring it'd be okay, that she'd be okay; I must not have fully understood what had happened.

There was a blockade in my mind, preventing me from crying. Which in a way, was good. I had to be strong for Emma.

But it felt awful to feel so...emotionless after this. I had just lost Jack. How could anything ever be fine again?

A few weeks later, when I sat with Emma at the festival in town instead of up in a tree with Jack, as I watched the lanterns float away and join the stars, I finally broke. Quickly, I gave Emma back to the grieving Mrs. Overland and ran into the woods. Stones stuck in my feet, and it hurt so badly, but I didn't even care.

All the tears had built up, and now they were coming out all at once.

Up at the top of our tree, I hugged the trunk and felt my entire body shake from sobs.

"Why Jack?!" I choked out. "Why him?!" I looked up at the Moon, "You could've had anyone else and you took him!"

It stared back silently.

"You stole him from me," I blinked back a new wave of tears, "The least you could do is tell me...tell me why..."

My entire life, all my dreams about the future, they were all crumbling away. I pulled the slightly crushed golden lily from my apron pocket. Carefully, I tucked it behind my ear the way he had.

All I wanted was to see him smiling at me in that dreamy way again, but that wasn't going to happen. BECAUSE HE WAS DEAD.

The Festival of the Lanterns was a celebration used to keep the Boogeyman and his nightmares away from the village for another year, as he's afraid of the light.

But this was like the nightmare had swallowed me whole and now I was trapped in darkness.

One of the cardinals flew past me, accidentally dropping something into my lap.

The cardinals used to be a "sign" that Jack and I would have a happy eternal marriage. I remember how they had built their nest the morning after he had proposed to me. Now they mocked me.

I closed my eyes in despair.

"He died saving his sister..." I shook my head. "He's a hero... Please...bring him back..."

The Moon gave no reply. None whatsoever.

Sadly, I lifted the tiny branch the Cardinal had dropped into my lap. I saw it was covered in rich purple berries.

They were poisonous Sunset berries...also called Nightshade and Eclipse berries.

Maybe this was a sign too...

You're making a mistake, I warned myself.

Another cold voice pushed into my head though, one that wasn't my own. I tried not to listen, but he convinced me I had no other choice.

I fought back more tears as I plucked off a handful and put them in my mouth.

Suddenly it hit me what exactly I had done. I looked at the cardinal in terror, wishing it hadn't dropped the berries, wishing I hadn't just poisoned myself.

But it wasn't a cardinal...it was a raven...with gleaming silver eyes.

The sun rose, and shone on my body, which had fallen from the tree. But that also put the flower in the just right position: it started to glow in response to the light.

Spiraling ribbons of gold surrounded me. The healthy pink glow returned to my skin, and the bruises from my fall healed. When the light had faded away, the flower was gone. But my hair was the exact same shade of gold it had once been.

When I woke up, I saw a woman from my village, Mother Gothel, staring at me in horror.

I blinked a few times, and realized I was back in the tower. My hand was curled around something, a slightly larger gold ring identical to my own.

Jack...

No, I can't lose him again. Whatever's happening to him, I'm going to stop it. Or at least give him a reason to fight back. I tucked the gold ring carefully in my pocket and ran over to the drawer.

Amongst some other various objects, "random crap" as Jack would say, I found the silver pair of scissors Mother always told me not to play with as a child.

I hesitated as I held the shears up to my hair. But then I thought about everything Jack-and Jackson-has done for me. I can sacrifice for him.

Closing my eyes, I snipped my hair off all at once. It fell to the ground with a heavy lump, instantly starting to turn brown.

I reached up to touch the too short locks and stared as the blonde darkened into the dark brown my past self's hair had been.

The silver block on the window spiraled over to me and clouded around me. When it faded, I was in the grassy meadow outside.

In relief, I knelt down and touched the grass and dirt. A smile lit my face as I stood up to take off running after the snowflake that appeared. I just knew it'd lead me to Jack.

"Hold on!" I called, "I'm coming!"

There was a new lightness to my step, possibly because I didn't have seventy feet of hair dragging behind me. But it could also be because I was elevated from the fact that everything was going to be okay!


	17. Chapter 17

**Aaaaand in this corner...**

**Chapter 17. **

**Holy frickle frackle. What even is this? lolwut I don't know but yeah it's exciting. Or I think it is:)**

**bluemangosmoothie: Thank you:) and that's really cool, what kind of a horse is it?**

**FrozenLanterns: I'm glad you liked it, Jack's going to remember soon also:3 and the hair thing will probably be explained in msybe the next chapter **

**Guest: That's kind of what I was going for,with the Guardians indirectly helping her. Or i guess its kind of directly. **

**InvisibleGeek: I'm glad you like it!**

**blueacrylicpaint: I don't understand. Like all of my notification emails are just going to spam. Whyyyyy? :(**

**Blap. Chapter. Here it is.**

Absentmindedly, I flexed my fingers. My hand seemed to be the only thing I really had much control over. Everything else was stiff, especially my back. Who even knew how long I've been down here? Maybe I could work my way from fingers to wrist to arm to the rest of my body, and regain feeling and then I'd be able to get out of here.

It's pretty boring. The snowflake etches in the icy walls had lost their appeal, so there was nothing left for me to look at. Pitch had left a few minutes...maybe a few hours ago. He had said something that was now bothering me, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.

Something about Rapunzel.

Who's Rapunzel again?

I considered this, leaning my head back against the wall.

Oh right, the pretty girl who vanished in a swirl of night mares. Poof.

Vaguely, I could recall her long blonde hair spilling over her shoulders and bright green eyes the color of spring. In my head, a blush crept across her cheeks as she smiled shyly.

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was smiling too. But it quickly slipped from my lips when I remembered what Pitch had said.

"Rapunzel's not coming back for you."

(POV Change)

It seemed like for every step I managed to take, the cutting wind pushed me back two steps twice as big. This was hopeless. If only Jack would stop making the storm worse!

I've seen his power before, but I was always safe inside. Never before had I actually felt the blistering snow cut at my skin or the wind cutting through my clothes and making me shiver and pointlessly wrap the blanket tighter.

The full moon peeked out through a cloud and I stared up at it desperately. Jack told me praying to the moon doesn't work, the moon doesn't care about him...and I guess by extension me...but I had to try anyway.

"Help me!" I whispered.

Nothing happened. I'm not sure what I was hoping for...but I would've taken anything! Anything would help...but I guess Jack was right. The moon doesn't care.

Jack...

Warm tears stung at my eyes as I thought about him. He could be dying right now...I could be dying right now. We were both slowly freezing, and I couldn't save him because I was trapped in this storm and he couldn't save me because he's trapped at the bottom of an icy cavern.

I should've stayed in the tower, thought this through more. Why did I think I could brave this stupid storm? What possessed me into thinking that I'm capable of anything other than sitting around a tower waiting?!

Even before I cut my hair I was useless! Even before I had powers and when life was simple, I still could've help Jack! He died in an accident I could've prevented had I just not left his side...and then what did I do? I went and let Pitch trick me into killing myself.

Stupid. I'm. So. Stupid.

And I'm so cold...

Covering my face in my hands, I let myself cry. I never should have done this. I never should've left my tower. I never should've even let Jack get this close to me again. Clearly we didn't have a great track record of not dying horrible deaths.

In frustration, I grabbed a chunk of grass in my fist and yanked it out. Several handfuls were torn out, the way I wanted to tear my stupid, useless, short brown hair out.

Why can't I do anything right?

Wait...

Grass.

Grass?

Grass!

I sat up slowly and looked around. A perfect ring of snow had melted away and I sat in the center. The air was still chilly, but not unbearably so. Like early spring. How had this happened?

Resting in the grass in front of me was an egg. When I picked it up, I saw the familiar design: a yellow sun with purple spiraling from the coronas. A memory of this being embroidered on a tapestry poked at my brain.

It was something my mother had brought over from Germany to Pennsylvania...when we had left behind our kingdom...for a reason I can't recall as I was a baby at the time.

Jack had always commented on it when he was at my home with my parents knowledge. He'd joke about me being a princess and him prince charming, and my parents would laugh and say 'what a delightful boy' while Jack and I exchanged a knowing smile.

The memory warmed my heart.

Jack needed to remember...I can't give up yet.

The egg broke and a snow globe fell out, along with a slip of paper. With a smile, I realized what it was.

"Ice kingdom," I whispered as I threw the snow globe to the ground.

(POV Change)

The boy staring back at me from the ice was horrifying. His eyes were wide and rimmed with red from no sleep and unshed tears. His white hair was streaked with silver, and his lips were a blue color. The skin still visible beneath the layers of frost was a grayish blue, with the darker blue veins even more apparent than before.

"How do you feel?" Pitch asked.

Slowly, I managed to look up at his reflection, hoping it'd be equally awful as mine so I could assume it was a trick of the ice making objects look uglier than they actually were. I knew for a fact Pitch owned a mirror like that.

But no, I did look that awful.

"Are you cold?"

Yes.

"Numb?"

Yes.

"Scared?"

Yes.

"Empty?"

Yes.

"You don't look so good, I'll tell you that," he smirked at me. I simply dropped my gaze to my blue fingertips and wished I could move them again.

Part of me wished I would just freeze over and die already. My heart was painfully slow, so I knew it was coming. But then part of me wondered if I'd only freeze, but remain alive. That'd be like an even worse existence than what I have been already living in for three hundred years.

"This isn't working the way I planned," he muttered, "The freezing power...it's overwhelming the night mares..." he ran his fingers through my silvery hair. I was relieved that the accumulating snow was finally shaken off, "This isn't right..."

A shatter interrupted his thoughts.

He whirled around to identify the cause, I simply glanced at it. The ice chandelier had crashed to the floor. Probably because of the klutzy golden unicorn traipsing around the palace. A laugh formed in my throat as I watched it gallop around, knocking everything in its path over.

Pitch snarled and ran after the creature. It neighed tauntingly and jumped out of the way just as Pitch reached for it.

The laugh in my throat choked me when I saw Pitch's dazed expression from smashing his face into the wall.

The unicorn trotted over to me and nuzzled me affectionately. The laughter finally bubbled out of me as I leaned into the warmth radiating from the dream sand. I reached my hand up and touched the mane, despite the burning feeling coursing through me.

All of the warmth was abruptly cut off and I instantly froze again. My smile slipped from my face and I slumped back into my previous position. Pitch had turned the beautiful unicorn onto a night mare. I stared at it, feeling the hollow cavity in my chest grow.

Pitch sneered at his new minion.

My gaze traveled over his shoulder at something pressed against the wall. After a few seconds, my brain began to process what I was actually looking at.

The two bright green eyes stared back at me in complete and utter terror.


	18. Chapter 18

**Did anyone else see that "The Party's Over" clip? For Frozen? Cause I am somehow even more excited and that shouldn't be possible. But oh my god Anna... "What are you so afraid of?" that is my favorite quote. Second is "What did I ever do to you?" Yeah...Frozen:)**

**FrozenLanterns: Haha, I hope they can too**

**bluemangoesmoothie: Oooh:) do you only have one? If you have two I might die of jealousy...haha I used to ride at my great uncles ranch, but we haven't gone in a few years. I miss my horse:(**

**InvisibleGeek: Don't worry, he'll survive. Probably;)**

**blueacrylicpaint: Clearly your life is doing cow's makeup. Assume from context clues silly. I hate missing notifications too, but I don't know how to change the settings so they aren't all sent to spam. If you figure it out I demand that you tell me the very instant. **

**Hmm: It's not very tactful to imply that I'm idiotic in the very first sentence, especially if you want your review to be considered relevant. Something I've learned about life:nobody respects people who are rude. Yes, it is rude to tell someone time shouldn't be wasted on reading their story. Just because a summary doesn't fit your definition of correct does not mean the person a bad writer. I actually intend on changing the summary when the story is finished and the plot is set in stone. If, until then, I decide to put a vague and sarcastic string of sentences? That's my decision, and haranguing me over it isn't going to accomplish anything. I don't understand why you even bothered; if you're trying to make me mad it didn't work in any way whatsoever. That being said, I sincerely hope you have a lovely day. And I'm not being sarcastic, I honestly mean it. That is all. **

**Can we all just pretend that love is jam and the world is toast? SPREAD THE LOVE. When critiquing somebody, be polite when doing so. If you're nice about it, I really appreciate getting criticism. So go ahead,you can even add suggestions for improvements if you want. But seriously, no one likes being insulted. Whether they deserve it or not is besides the point. **

**So yeah hippie love fest over. Here's the chapter:**

The pounding in my chest was so loud I was surprised Pitch couldn't hear it. God I hope he can't... It was bad enough that any moment he could turn around and SEE me. I'm dead. My life is going to end like right now and...and Pitch is about to turn around right now I just know it!

The golden dream unicorn was supposed to distract Pitch long enough for me to get in and either get Jack out or at least to put the ring on him! But no! Pitch turned it into a night mare!

Jack was staring at me, eyebrows furrowed.

Please don't let Pitch know I'm here, I silently pleaded him.

After Jack dropped his gaze back to the ground, a wall of ice formed in front of me. Not enough to trap me in, but enough to conceal me.

Did Jack...?

Pitch snarled something at Jack, and I held my breath. Only when the last echoes of footsteps had died out did I let myself relax and poke my head out. Jack was, in fact, alone.

When I knelt down beside him, I wanted to reach out and touch his face...but I retracted my hand when I realized I'd accidentally hurt him somehow.

"Do you know who I am?" I asked. He was staring at me, unblinking, as if he wasn't sure if I was dangerous or not but he wasn't going to risk it.

His head shook very slightly.

"I'm Rapunzel...I'm here to help you," I said carefully, "Just trust me okay?"

He gave me a skeptic look.

"If I do something that scares you...it's foe the best and you have to believe in me, okay?" something in his eyes sparked, and I smiled, "I actually sometimes know what I'm doing."

The corner of his lip tugged into the barest trace of a smirk. It was definitely progress, or I think it was.

"See this ring?" I held up the gold band for him to see, "I'm going to put it on your finger...okay? And then you're going to see some things. They're memories...your memories..."

"M...my memories?" his voice was scratchy, like he had just woken up. I wonder if he's spoken a single word since I last saw him.

"Yes," I nodded, "Now give me your hand."

He lifted his hand halfway up before it froze and started to tremble. Taking his hand and pulling it the rest of the way to me, I slid the ring onto his finger and held his hand in both of mine.

At first he stiffened, and glared at the ring. But then he relaxed and his eyes stopped glowing as they glazed over. I took his other hand and tried to warm them with my own.

"Please work," I prayed.

(POV Change)

The ice castle began to shimmer before tucking itself away. In its place, I saw myself running and doing cartwheels through a meadow...but my hair was darkish brown and my eyes were amber. Instead of being pale, I had flushed cheeks and enough color in my skin clarion like a living-breathing human being.

Running not too far behind me was my little sister, Emma. She called for me to slow down, but instead I sped up with a laugh. My long legs made me at least ten times faster than her, it was great.

I finally flopped down on my back and laughed breathlessly, too tired to stand for another moment. Emma collapsed in a giggling heap next to me right after.

Finally, we got ahold of ourselves, and I noticed Emma glancing back at the trees. After the seventh time, I asked, "What are you looking at?"

"I think that pretty girl is looking at US," she replied in a whisper.

When I looked, casually to not cause suspicion, I saw two bright green eyes looking at me, "I think you're right," I whispered to Emma. Rapunzel blushed, I could see it even from here, and shifted her gaze down at the book she had resting against her thighs.

I never knew she came down here...

"Now you're staring at her," Emma made a face at me.

"Hush," I covered her mouth with my hand. When she stuck her tongue out I quickly withdrew my hand in disgust while sticking my own tongue out and crossing my eyes. In the corner of my vision, I saw Rapunzel trying not to laugh and a blush crept across my own cheeks.

The next montage of scenes were hazy and quick and random, from me holding Rapunzel's bonnet just over her head and laughing as she tried to jump and grab it, to introducing Rapunzel to my mom, who proceeded to joke, "Well I hope your babies don't get Jack's ears". I grabbed Rapunzel's hand and dragged her from the room moments later to prevent the inevitable baby stories from being told. "I like your ears," she had smiled teasingly.

In a slightly more detailed memory, I saw us lounging around my backyard a warm spring evening. Earlier, she had helped teach Emma how to weave daisy chains. Now she had her tongue pressed between her lips in concentration as she made a ringlet of flowers. When she finished, she stood and placed the pink flower crown on my head like it was my coronation.

I'm not sure what came over me, but the next thing I knew I was standing and I had my hands on the side of her face. Before she could even vocalize her confused "Jack?", I had kissed her. She seemed shocked for a moment, but then her lips parted as she kissed me back.

There were more kisses to follow that amazing first, and each one made my heart flutter despite Emma insisting that kissing was gross. (Which really only gave me another incentive to lean in and peck Rapunzel on the lips again.)

One evening, a chilly late autumn night, underneath the blood moon, Rapunzel, Emma and I sat around a fireplace. Rapunzel sat practically in my lap as I taught her how to play a song on my guitar. Emma watched us with interest; not sure if it was because she was trying to learn guitar as well, or if she found it interesting that somehow her dorky older brother ended up with a girl like Rapunzel.

"So...like this?" she played two chords and looked back at me expectantly.

"Almost," I replied, moving her hand up a fret and lifting her middle finger off the strings; instead of a G minor she played F sharp major. Carefully, I strummed the guitar and let her hear what the chord was supposed to sound like.

"Heh...oops," she smiled sheepishly. I chuckled and kissed her nose.

As I sat there, and we played guitar together while she and Emma sang, I realized I wanted my life to stay like this forever.

The problem was that I knew that it wasn't possible to stay eighteen for any longer than a year. So I decided to settle for the next best thing: spending however long I have left with Rapunzel. I've been thinking about it for a while, but only now was I completely sure.

Somehow, they talked me into singing with them, and Rapunzel gave me full control of the guitar so I could play and sing.

Rapunzel closed her eyes and swayed back and forth to the music as I slowly strummed the chords to a song I wrote for her a year ago but never had the courage to actually tell her about.

When I sang the last few lyrics, I noticed Emma yawning every few seconds and her droopy eyes. Carefully, I set the guitar down and picked Emma up in its place, "It's her bedtime. I'll be right back," I told Rapunzel.

"Jaaaack," Emma yawned in the middle of her protests, "Can't I stay up for once?"

I smirked, "I let you say up last night," I lowered my voice and added, "Besides, I want to talk to Rapunzel for a minute."

After I tucked Emma in, she murmured, "That was a pretty song that you wrote for her. She's really lucky."

"Yeah?" I smiled.

She nodded and drifted off after we exchanged our "I love you Stupid face," "I love you too, Shortie."

"I'm going to walk Rapunzel home, okay? You can just go to bed," I told my mom as I headed out the door.

"And not wait up for you? I don't want you out this late!"

"I'll be quick as a bunny," I smiled.

She glared, "Jack."

I sighed, "Please? I want to talk to her about something. It's important."

With a resigned sigh, she warned, "Don't get into any trouble."

I grabbed my dad's old Shepard staff, "If anyone tries to attack me I'll hit them with this, okay?"

She glared again, the way only moms could.

"Kidding! Bye, I love you!" I closed the door and jogged over to Rapunzel, sitting alone on the log.

It was amusing how she didn't protest me walking her to our tree rather than to her home. When we climbed up and I sat on the branch across from her, however, I could tell she wanted to say something.

I took her tiny hands in mine and stared at them. It almost made me uncomfortable how much larger and rougher my hands were compared to hers. But when I intertwined our fingers and felt the tender callouses forming on her finger tips and the rough patches from scrubbing paint, I felt better.

"So...tonight...when we were all...you know..." I apparently couldn't speak in coherent sentences, "I had a thought and...I don't know..."

Rapunzel forced a laugh, "You THOUGHT? That's new..."

I furrowed my eyebrows and chewed on my lip. I had no idea what I was even trying to say right now.

"Jack?"

I looked up at her right as the wind lifted her hair from her shoulders and rustled the leaves. Before she could, I reached up to tuck her hair safely behind her ear. She smiled and leaned into my hand as it brushed against her cheek.

"We're seventeen...or you are...I'm eighteen...but that's... That's besides the point," I wanted to thwonk myself in the forehead, WHY CAN'T I TALK? "And I mean, we've been together for a really long time...and..."

"Are you...trying to break up with me?" she asked in a tight whisper. I looked up at her in shock and saw her bottom lip trembling as she blinked rapidly.

"No! No...no no no..." I put my hands on her upper arms and kept my grip on her tight, "No...no...I'm just bad with words..." I laughed and rested my forehead against hers. I wonder if she'd lend me her brain for a minute or two...probably not.

"No kidding," she tried to smile, but she still had the expression of a recently-kicked puppy.

I took two deep breaths before trying again, "I love you, so much. Probably more than you even know. Because I don't say it anywhere near enough...and I hate myself for it...because you deserve to know...but I just...I'm surprised I even managed to say it now. It just seems so impossible for me to even think about saying it..."

"I love you too," she reached up to touch my cheek, "It's fine that you don't say it out loud...you say it in more meaningful ways."

"It's not okay," I shook my head, "I...wow are my hands shaking?" Rapunzel nodded with a small smile, and I got even more flustered, "Wow...haha...I can't say it...uh...yeah..."

"Jack," Rapunzel put her hands on the side of my face and looked at me very seriously, "Just say it...you're kind of scaring me here..."

"I realized that I want to spend the rest of my life with you," I finally managed to blurt.

Her eyes widened and she examined my face in disbelief, like she didn't think it was actually me talking and failing at trying to talk and express my emotions.

"Rapunzel Corona," my voice cracked so I cleared my throat before continuing, "Will you marry me?"

She withdrew her hands from me and used them to cover her mouth. Her green eyes were turning red around the edges as she started to cry. Closing her eyes, a smile graced her lips and she nodded.

"Yes?" I asked, my chest instantly lightening from relief.

"Yes," she opened her eyes to smile at me and placed her hands in mine.

"I don't have a ring..." I half smiled, "But I'll ask Haddock tomorrow..." The blacksmith had offered to make me a ring before, I was regretting not agreeing to it.

Rapunzel and I kissed once again before I brought her home.

I was carrying Rapunzel bridal style down the path towards the meadow. Mocking her mom's voice, I said, "We can't let you get stones stuck in your feet! Put on some shoes!"

"How about YOU put on shoes," she replied, "And put me down. I'm not a princess."

"No you are not," I muttered under my breath jokingly.

"Hey!" she smacked my chest, but didn't try to hide her smile, "You're not exactly Prince Charming."

"Say that again after I rescue you from the tower," I nodded east, where the old abandoned tower stood. There was a whole legend about the eternally young woman who lived inside it, but that was just a story to scare away kids.

She made a face, "I refuse to go to that place. It's creepy over there."

"Agreed."

And then I was standing alone on the frozen lake. Emma scattered flower petals all across the ice while I half buried candles in the snow and lit them. Now I was just waiting for Rapunzel.

"Jack?" Rapunzel had her hand partially covering her mouth, her silver ring glinting in the candlelight.

I was twisting my own gold ring, still trying to get used to the feeling of wearing a ring 24/7.

But then I strode over to her and held out an inviting hand to lead her on the ice.

"What is all of this?" she asked as I took one of her hands in mine and rested my other hand on her waist. I still saw the streaks running down her face from her tears. I wished I had been with her rather than out chopping firewood...

"Just because," I smiled, "You didn't reach your recommended amount of smiles today."

"Oh really? Who recommended that I need a certain number of smiles?" she looked up at me without any amusement.

"Me," I replied, "I'm your husband, I like to pretend I know these things."

Finally, the corners of her lips turned up, but just barely. It's a start though, so I wasn't about to complain.

As we danced, I whispered to her why I loved her. I could see the doubt in her eyes, but by the time I had exhausted every possible thing I could love about her, it was replaced with genuine happiness.

"I love you," she hugged me, burying her face in my chest.

"I love you too," I pulled her in closer, "Are you happier now?"

She nodded.

"Promise?"

Another nod.

"Jack, I'm scared!"

"Don't look down okay? Look at me," I said. "Right at me."

Emma was looking at me fearfully. Not because she was afraid of me, but because the ice we were on was too thin and was cracking beneath us.

That on top of the fact she's not exactly skilled at ice skating yet led to our current situation.

I was terrified that if I tried to step closer to her the ice would completely shatter.

"You're not going to fall in," I reassured her, although I knew I couldn't guarantee that. "We're...uh..we're going to have some fun instead!"

"No we're not!"

"Would I trick you?"

Apparently being literally on the brink of potential death wasn't enough to scare away her attitude as she replied, "Yes! You ALWAYS play tricks!"

"No, not this time," I said.

A few feet away, I spotted a Shepard's staff.

"We're going to play hopscotch! Like we play everyday. It's easy as one..." I winced as the ice cracked slightly under my foot. But, seeing Emma's eyes widen in fear, I pretended to fall by standing on one foot and waving my arms around. She giggled, fantastic. "Two...three!"

And like that, I was safely in the snow. I reached down and lifted the staff.

"Okay your turn," I said.

She nodded.

"One..." she could hardly move on her skates, "Two..." she gasped as the ice cracked even more. "Three!" I reached out and hooked the staff around her waist, tossing her away from the cracking ice. While I did that though, I stumbled and fell back into my original position.

No matter, I reassured myself. I got myself off once, I can do it again.

Emma smiled with relief at me.

"See?" I said. I stood to walk towards her.

That's when the ice gave in all at once, and I fell into the freezing water.

"Jack!"

I tried to swim out, but it was too cold...

My mind raced in all directions as I fought against my sinking body. No! I'm not going to die! Think of Emma! And Rapunzel! GOD JACKSON SWIM!

Slowly, my will faded away, and I stopped trying to get out. It was pointless.

The last thought before everything faded away was: at least Emma's safe.

There I was floating in the water. A few week beams of moonlight were shining through the ice, brushing through my hair. As I watched, the dark strands turned pure white, and my eyes snapped open to reveal that they were bright blue.

I gasped, suddenly back in the ice palace.

(POV Change)

Jack snapped back into reality, eyes wide in shock as he tried to absorb what he had just seen.

"Did you...did you see that?!" he asked, grabbing my shoulders and smiling in excitement, "I had a family...I had a sister...I SAVED HER! And you!" he pulled me into a tight hug before putting me at arms length again, "It was you...it's always been you..."

I smiled and blinked back tears. It worked...he was okay!

Almost all of the ice forming on his skin had melted away and now the blue tinge to his skin was fading. The silvery streaks in his hair would probably never go away, but I didn't mind.

"What happened?" his eyes shot up to my hair, eyebrows furrowed in concern, "It...it was long and blonde...not in the memory but...it was blonde..."

"I...cut it. It's no big deal," I shrugged.

"No big deal?! What happened?"

With a sigh, I explained. He wasn't too thrilled to hear that I gave up my powers for him.

"It looks good though," he said, running a hand through it gently.

I blushed and smiled.

He pulled me close to him, and I rested my head against his chest. The slow, but steady, rhythm of his heart was in time with his hand stroking my hair.

Everything was going to be okay...we were okay...he was okay... I clutched at his tattered hoodie and tried to stop shaking. But in my efforts, I only managed to start crying quietly

"Shh," he comforted me, "You're okay...you're safe. I promise. It's going to all work out. And then we can pick up where we left off."

I touched Jack's hand so we could see both our rings at once. They seemed to shine brighter now that they were next to each other, "So are we still married?"

He considered this, "I think we'd need to remarry, cause vows are binding openly till death do we part..and..." he trailed off.

I grasped at thin air before remembering my hair wasn't tug-able anymore.

"How did you die?" he asked softly, "You probably had a memory about my death..." to which I nodded, "But I don't know anything about yours."

"I'd rather not talk about it right now.." I shrugged.

He nodded. After a few moments he stood and reached out his hand to pull me to my feet. Glancing around he said, "We need to figure out how to get out of here..."


End file.
